China launches twin rocket missions carrying experimental satellites from land and sea

China carried out two successful satellite launches on Sunday, underscoring its expanding space ambitions.

A Lijian-1 Y9 carrier rocket blasted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, state media reported.

The rocket carried two technical experiment satellites, which were placed into their designated orbit.

On the same day, a Long March-11 carrier rocket was launched from waters off the coast of Haiyang in east China’s Shandong Province, according to the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket deployed three Shiyan-32 test satellites into their preset orbit. These satellites are designed to conduct experiments in space-based technologies.

The Long March-11 launch marked the 606th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. Both missions highlight China’s growing capabilities in commercial and experimental satellite launches from both land and sea platforms.