Thousand Sails Archives - SpaceNews https://spacenews.com Covering the business and politics of space Thu, 05 Dec 2024 23:20:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cropped-SN_forza_star-32x32.png Thousand Sails Archives - SpaceNews https://spacenews.com 32 32 80681979 Long March 6A launches third batch of Thousand Sails constellation satellites https://spacenews.com/long-march-6a-launches-third-batch-of-thousand-sails-constellation-satellites/ https://spacenews.com/long-march-6a-launches-third-batch-of-thousand-sails-constellation-satellites/#respond Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:28:26 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=509769 A Long March 6A rocket lifts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China, surrounded by four towering lightning rods, leaving a plume of dense white exhaust against a backdrop of a partly cloudy blue sky. The launch marks the deployment of the third batch of 18 Qianfan (Thousand Sails) satellites, a key step in China's ambitious low Earth orbit megaconstellation project, December 5, 2024.
A Long March 6A rocket lifts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China, surrounded by four towering lightning rods, leaving a plume of dense white exhaust against a backdrop of a partly cloudy blue sky. The launch marks the deployment of the third batch of 18 Qianfan (Thousand Sails) satellites, a key step in China's ambitious low Earth orbit megaconstellation project, December 5, 2024.

HELSINKI — China launched the third batch of 18 satellites for the Thousand Sails constellation late Tuesday as the firm behind the project aims for global services in 2025. A […]

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]]> https://spacenews.com/long-march-6a-launches-third-batch-of-thousand-sails-constellation-satellites/feed/ 0 509769 China launches second batch of 18 satellites for Thousand Sails megaconstellation https://spacenews.com/china-launches-second-batch-of-18-satellites-for-thousand-sails-megaconstellation/ https://spacenews.com/china-launches-second-batch-of-18-satellites-for-thousand-sails-megaconstellation/#respond Tue, 15 Oct 2024 21:01:52 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=507168 The second batch of Qianfan/Thousand Sails satellites launches on a Long March 6A rocket from Taiyuan, Oct. 15, 2024.
The second batch of Qianfan/Thousand Sails satellites launches on a Long March 6A rocket from Taiyuan, Oct. 15, 2024.

MILAN — China successfully launched the second group of 18 satellites for the planned 14,000-satellite Thousand Sails megaconstellation Tuesday. A Long March 6A rocket lifted off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch […]

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]]> https://spacenews.com/china-launches-second-batch-of-18-satellites-for-thousand-sails-megaconstellation/feed/ 0 507168 Brightness of first Chinese broadband constellation satellites alarms astronomers https://spacenews.com/brightness-of-first-chinese-broadband-constellation-satellites-alarms-astronomers/ https://spacenews.com/brightness-of-first-chinese-broadband-constellation-satellites-alarms-astronomers/#respond Sat, 05 Oct 2024 20:47:25 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=506752

The first satellites of a Chinese broadband constellation are significantly brighter than those of Western systems, posing a new challenge for astronomers.

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]]> https://spacenews.com/brightness-of-first-chinese-broadband-constellation-satellites-alarms-astronomers/feed/ 0 506752 Chinese rocket stage breaks up into cloud of more than 700 pieces of space debris https://spacenews.com/chinese-rocket-stage-breaks-up-into-cloud-of-more-than-700-pieces-of-space-debris/ https://spacenews.com/chinese-rocket-stage-breaks-up-into-cloud-of-more-than-700-pieces-of-space-debris/#respond Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:11:40 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=498436

HELSINKI — A Chinese Long March 6A rocket’s upper stage has fragmented into a cloud of over 700 pieces of space debris, adding to concerns about long-term orbital safety. China […]

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]]> https://spacenews.com/chinese-rocket-stage-breaks-up-into-cloud-of-more-than-700-pieces-of-space-debris/feed/ 0 498436 Chinese megaconstellation launch creates field of space debris https://spacenews.com/chinese-megaconstellation-launch-creates-field-of-space-debris/ https://spacenews.com/chinese-megaconstellation-launch-creates-field-of-space-debris/#respond Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:32:14 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=498404

HELSINKI — A Chinese launch to deploy a first batch of communications satellites has created more than 50 pieces of debris which could threaten spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The […]

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]]> https://spacenews.com/chinese-megaconstellation-launch-creates-field-of-space-debris/feed/ 0 498404 China launches first satellites for Thousand Sails megaconstellation https://spacenews.com/china-launches-first-satellites-for-thousand-sails-megaconstellation/ https://spacenews.com/china-launches-first-satellites-for-thousand-sails-megaconstellation/#respond Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:52:31 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=498241

PRESTON, United Kingdom — China successfully launched the first batch of 18 satellites Tuesday for the Thousand Sails low Earth orbit communications megaconstellation. A Long March 6A rocket lifted off […]

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]]> https://spacenews.com/china-launches-first-satellites-for-thousand-sails-megaconstellation/feed/ 0 498241