China sends radar mapping and GNSS augmentation sats into orbit with pair of launches
China carried out two orbital launches in late March, expanding its low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) infrastructure. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 6:51 p.m. Eastern (2251 UTC) on 25 March, delivering a pair of synthetic‑aperture‑radar (SAR) satellites for the SuperView constellation. Three days earlier, on 22 March at 11:49 a.m. Eastern (1549 UTC), a Jielong‑3 solid‑propellant vehicle launched from a converted barge off Haiyang, Shandong, placing ten CentiSpace navigation‑enhancement satellites into LEO.
The SuperView Neo‑2 series (Siwei Gaojing‑2) satellites 05 and 06 are designed to provide all‑weather, all‑day radar imagery with better than 1‑meter resolution, supporting high‑precision digital elevation models, radar orthophotos, and time‑series interferometric deformation monitoring. Operated by China Siwei, a CASC subsidiary, the SAR payloads were developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. The Jielong‑3 mission carried the CentiSpace‑2 (Weili Kongjian 02) group for Beijing Future Navigation Technology Co., inserting the ten spacecraft into near‑circular orbits at roughly 645 km altitude and 55° inclination. The constellation, backed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the 29th Research Institute of CETC, aims for 160–190 LEO satellites that augment Beidou and GPS signals, delivering stronger positioning layers for autonomous driving, precision agriculture, GIS, and disaster response. Jielong‑3, a 31‑metre, four‑stage solid rocket, can lift 1,500 kg to a 500‑km sun‑synchronous orbit and has completed ten successful launches from the Yellow Sea.
These missions marked China’s 15th and 16th orbital attempts of 2026, ending a month‑long post‑New‑Year hiatus and bringing the year’s total to seven launches since 12 March. The country recorded 92 launches in 2025 and is positioning to exceed 100 launches in a calendar year for the first time. Upcoming activity includes launches from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and preparations for the reusable Long March 10B at Wenchang Spaceport, with rideshare opportunities advertised for late‑2026 and 2027.
