China's Long March rocket program, CASC's state-run orbital fleet, is setting national cadence records and driving Beijing's military, constellation, and deep-space ambitions.
The rate and unit cost of reaching Earth orbit, dominated by US-based SpaceX and China's state launch industry, set the pace for satellite megaconstellations and the global space race.
full dossier ›The race to lower launch costs and raise cadence, led by SpaceX and China, determines who can operate at scale in space and who gets left behind.
Megaconstellation batches and a surprise Long March 12B maiden flight push cadence to one launch every ~2.5 days
Upgraded P160C boosters and an Amazon contract give Europe a working, if thin, sovereign launch base
Qianfan jumps back ahead at 182 to Guowang's ~168–190; two constellations planning 28,000+ spacecraft
650+ direct-to-cell satellites, 16M reached, voice and data added, SpaceX rebrands DTC as 'Starlink Mobile'