China Launches 27 Internet Satellites as National Megaconstellation Reaches Polar Milestones

China successfully launched 27 low-Earth orbit internet satellites early Saturday morning aboard a Long March 12 rocket from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, marking another milestone in Beijing’s effort to assemble a sovereign global satellite constellation. The rocket lifted off at 3:27 a.m. local time, placing the 27th batch of satellites for China’s national satellite internet project into their designated orbits. Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the 62-meter Long March 12 represents China’s largest single-core launch vehicle, capable of delivering at least 12 metric tons to low-Earth orbit and 6 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit….