China launched the Shijian-31 satellite aboard a Long March-3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on June 16, 2026, placing the spacecraft into its target orbit for a mission dedicated to detecting and characterizing the space environment.
The Long March-3B is a three-stage liquid-fueled rocket with strap-on boosters capable of lifting payloads to geostationary transfer orbit and high Earth orbits. Xichang, located in Sichuan province, serves as China’s primary launch site for geostationary orbit missions and conducts a substantial portion of the country’s annual launch manifest.
Shijian-31 is described as a space environment detection satellite tasked with measuring radiation levels, plasma conditions and high-energy particle flux in orbit. Data gathered by the spacecraft is intended to inform the engineering of future satellites and advance understanding of how space weather events affect orbital infrastructure.
The launch extended a busy period for China’s national space program, which has pursued an accelerated schedule of scientific, commercial and military satellite deployments. The China National Space Administration confirmed successful separation and orbit insertion of Shijian-31 following the rocket’s ascent from Xichang.
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Sources:
https://english.news.cn/20260616/24334daafc224125b1e75c3ae9999a28/c.html