---
title: "China launches new satellite to test direct mobile internet"
description: "China has successfully launched a new test satellite to test direct mobile internet 🇨🇳📡. The Long March-2D rocket launched from the Xichang launch center, continuing the active program to create a competitor to Starlink 🚀. This is already the 646th flight of the \"Changzheng\" rocket series."
date: 2026-06-01T09:21:59.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/china-launches-new-satellite-to-test-direct-mobile-internet
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# China launches new satellite to test direct mobile internet

![Launch of a Chinese carrier rocket with a satellite for testing direct mobile internet at night](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/01/kitay-zapustil-novyj-sputnik-dlya-testirovaniya-mobilnogo-interneta/kitay-zapustil-novyj-sputnik-dlya-testirovaniya-mobilnogo-interneta-1.webp)

On the night of Sunday, May 31, China successfully launched a new test satellite into orbit, designed to test satellite internet technologies. The launch was reported by the country's central television, CCTV.

### Launch details

The Long March-2D carrier rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, located in the southwestern province of Sichuan. Liftoff occurred at 2:07 a.m. local time (9:07 p.m. Saturday Kyiv time). This flight marked the 646th launch for the Long March rocket series.

### Mission objectives

The primary task of the new spacecraft is to conduct technical tests. The satellite will verify technologies for direct broadband connection of mobile phones to satellites, as well as integrated network technologies combining space and terrestrial environments.

### Space program context

This launch is not an isolated event. Earlier, on March 10, China successfully launched another test satellite for communication technologies from the same Xichang launch site using a Long March-3B rocket.

In March of this year, China also launched 18 satellites of the "Qianfan" (Thousand Sails) internet constellation into low Earth orbit. This constellation is intended to provide commercial internet services and is positioned as a competitor to Elon Musk's Starlink network.