As of December 2025, 15,000 Qianfan satellites have been approved to operate.
As of December 2025, the Qianfan deployment plan calls for 324 satellites launched in 2026, 324 in 2027, 4,000 in 2028 and 2029, and 5,000 in 2030.
The Apr. 7, 2026 Long March 8 launch was the first launch for the Qianfan constellation this year.
The Long March 8 launch sent 18 Qianfan, also known as Thousand Sails, satellites into orbit.
The payload was the seventh batch of Qianfan constellation networking satellites.
Space Pioneer has been testing a 36-satellite deployment mechanism for the Qianfan constellation.
Space Pioneer has a contract to demonstrate the ability to launch Qianfan satellites in early 2026.
Tianlong 3 may launch with 36 Qianfan satellites.
As of March 13, 2026, China had deployed the 20th group of internet satellites in the Qianfan network.
Brazil’s telecom regulator authorized the Qianfan constellation to operate in Brazil in February 2026.
China’s Qianfan constellation, also known as Thousand Sails or G60 Starlink, is designed to provide global internet coverage.
The Qianfan network had approximately 160 operational satellites as of March 13, 2026.
Qianfan plans to deploy 15,000 satellites by 2030.
CAS Space has another Kinetica-2 mission planned for 2026 to carry 18 Qianfan satellites for the Qianfan constellation.
Qianfan services are expected to begin in Brazil and China in the fourth quarter of the year.
Qianfan has launched 108 network satellites to date.
Qianfan is expected to achieve initial global coverage within the year.
Shanghai Spacesail Technologies operates the Qianfan connectivity mega-constellation.
Qianfan has preliminarily established a ground-based measurement, operation, and control network.
Space Pioneer and Genesat published news of successful tests with large Qianfan-like satellite deployment mechanisms around the time Tianlong-3 arrived at the launch site.