Beijing Signals High-Frequency Orbital Campaign With 26A Satellite Launch

China successfully placed a next-generation communications satellite into orbit Tuesday, kicking off a high-density launch campaign that sharpens the strategic technology race between Beijing and Washington’s military and commercial space sectors. A Long March 7A carrier rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site at 10:10 a.m. local time, delivering the Communications Technology Test Satellite 26A into a predetermined high-altitude orbit. The liquid-fueled rocket is China’s primary medium-lift vehicle optimized for high-Earth trajectories, capable of deploying single or dual-satellite payloads. The mission marked the second launch for the Long March 7A variant in less than a month, signaling that…