China launched its 28th batch of internet satellites into space

China has placed its 28th batch of low-orbit internet satellites into orbit; the successful launch was announced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

 According to a post on its WeChat social media account, the launch took place on October 25 at 10:03 Beijing time (05:03 Moscow time) using a Long March 8A (Changzheng-8A) carrier rocket, lifting off from the Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site in the province of the same name in southern China. 

The exact number of spacecraft placed into orbit was not specified. This mission marked the 674th flight for the Long March family of rockets.

The Long March 8 is a medium-lift, two-stage launch vehicle equipped with two strap-on boosters. The first stage and the boosters run on a mixture of kerosene and liquid oxygen, while the second stage utilizes a hydrogen-oxygen propellant. 

The base version of the rocket stands 48 meters tall, with a stage diameter of 3.35 meters and a payload capacity of approximately 8 metric tons.

Based on the baseline version, the LM 8A variant was developed, featuring an upgraded first stage and an enlarged second stage. The height of the LM 8A has increased to 50.5 m, and it is capable of delivering a 9.8-tonne payload to low Earth orbit.

ℹ️ Content Notice: This text is an English translation and factual adaptation of news events, edited for clarity, neutrality and objective reporting.
Source of information: Global News Agencies including REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU / Al Jazeera / CNN