A Long March-8 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group, which is the 12th batch that will constitute the Spacesail Constellation, blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan, June 5, 2026. The satellite group entered into the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Liu Jianqiu/Xinhua)

WENCHANG, Hainan, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China launched a Long March-8 carrier rocket on Friday in the southern island province of Hainan, sending a new satellite group into space.

The rocket lifted off at 2:34 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. The satellite group, which is the 12th batch that will constitute the Spacesail Constellation, entered into the preset orbit successfully. ■

A Long March-8 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group, which is the 12th batch that will constitute the Spacesail Constellation, blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan, June 5, 2026. The satellite group entered into the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Liu Jianqiu/Xinhua)