China Bolsters Orbital Ambitions With Successful Satellite Internet Launch

China has successfully expanded its burgeoning space-based communications infrastructure with the launch of a new batch of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, marking another step in Beijing’s strategic push to rival Western constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink. On April 9, at 3:38 a.m. local time, a Long March 6A carrier rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China. The mission successfully placed the “Satellite Internet Low-Orbit Group 21” into their predetermined orbital slots. According to state media, the launch marked the 637th flight of the Long March rocket series, highlighting the increasing cadence of China’s aerospace operations….