Constellation now has 201 satellites in orbit but the company is said to be under pressure to ramp up launches
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenLing Xinin OhioPublished: 9:00pm, 10 Jun 2026China’s Qianfan network has hit a national milestone by placing over 200 broadband satellites in orbit, but there are concerns its deployment could be too slow and costly.The constellation now has 201 satellites after a successful launch on board a Zhuque-2E rocket from the Gobi Desert at 4.23pm Beijing time on Tuesday.
The mission delivered Qianfan DTC-01 – a direct-to-cell test satellite – alongside a satellite from China Mobile, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The flight followed back-to-back launches last Thursday and Friday from Taiyuan in central China and the new spaceport in southernmost Hainan, each sending 18 Qianfan satellites into orbit.
A source working at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre said Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) – the company behind Qianfan – had sent a delegation to watch Tuesday’s launch.
