The Long March-8 Y6 carrier rocket, carrying 18 low-Earth orbit satellites, lifts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan province, March 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China launched four satellites aboard a Long March-2D carrier rocket on April 1 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province to test new satellite internet technologies.

The satellites were deployed into their designated orbits to carry out technical verification and experiments, including mobile-to-satellite broadband connections and space-ground network integration.

The Long March-2D, a two-stage liquid-propellant carrier rocket, is capable of delivering multiple satellites into low-Earth and sun-synchronous orbits.

Two of the satellites were developed by GalaxySpace, a commercial space company that has successfully built and launched more than 20 satellites.

China's satellite internet industry has seen steady growth in recent years. The Spacesail Constellation, a Chinese commercial low-orbit satellite constellation, plans to deploy 648 satellites by the end of 2025 and more than 10,000 by 2030. In March, the fifth batch of satellites under the program was launched from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, located in south China's Hainan province.

Other similar initiatives are underway, driven by the rapid growth of China's commercial aerospace sector.