The Qianfan constellation had 164 spacecraft after the June 1 launch.
The first Long March 12B rocket carried Qianfan constellation satellites.
Qianfan deployment plans call for 324 satellites in 2026, another 324 in 2027, 4,000 in 2028 and 2029, and 5,000 in 2030.
Each Qianfan satellite is believed to weigh 300 kilograms and use a flat-pack design with a single solar array.
Each Qianfan satellite uses an electric hall-effect thruster burning krypton to generate 20 millinewtons of thrust and a specific impulse of 1,385 seconds.
Qianfan is intended to provide space-based internet connectivity in China and abroad, including Brazil, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and via airlines.
Qianfan has approval to operate 15,000 total satellites.
CAS Space, Space Pioneer, and LandSpace are among the companies enlisted for Qianfan demonstration launches.
Qianfan deployments are expected to continue in early June with Long March 8 series and Long March 6A flights.
China has been deploying the GuoWang and Qianfan low Earth orbit connectivity mega-constellations since August 2024.
Qianfan has reached 162 satellites through 9 launches since August 2024.
Qianfan and GuoWang contract out manufacturing of spacecraft groups to China’s satellite supply chain.
Qianfan and GuoWang currently rely on state-owned launch vehicles from three launch sites under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Qianfan satellites and GuoWang satellites operate above 1,000 kilometers in orbit.
Qianfan and GuoWang have also used the Long March 6A for constellation deployment launches.
Qianfan satellites weigh about 267 kilograms and can be flat-packed.
Commercial demonstrations for Qianfan are expected to carry 10 to 18 satellites before routine deployments.
The Long March 8 series has been dedicated to launching GuoWang and Qianfan satellites since February 2025.
Long March 6A successfully placed itself into a near-polar orbit and deployed 18 Qianfan satellites.
The 18 Qianfan satellites were the eighth batch in the Polar Group 09 constellation, which has a total of 144 satellites.