On Nov. 3, 2026, China used a Lijian-2 Yao-2 carrier rocket from the Dongfeng
Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone to place 18 Qianfan constellation
networking satellites built by Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology into their
planned orbit; the launch was declared successful. Qianfan is a
Yuanxin-developed, commercially operated low-Earth-orbit satellite internet
constellation using Ku and Q/V bands to provide broadband and internet-access
services. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology completed domestic
frequency coordination and issued space radio station licenses and
radio-frequency-use permits in bulk to support the project’s deployment.
