China sent a new group of satellites into space on Thursday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province.

Launched at 12:41 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a modified Long March-6 carrier rocket, the satellite group, the third batch that will constitute the Spacesail Constellation, entered the preset orbits successfully.

The launch marks the 550th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

The newly launched satellite group includes 18 satellites, according to details released online by the Chinese commercial satellite constellation developer Shanghai Spacesail Technologies Co., Ltd.

The total number of in-orbit Spacesail Constellation satellites has now reached 54, further enhancing the continuous communication capabilities of the constellation, the company added.

Spacesail, a low Earth orbit megaconstellation featuring full frequency bands and a multi-layer, multi-orbit design, officially began commercial network construction on Aug. 6, 2024.

The satellite constellation networking of the Spacesail Constellation is further accelerating.

The Spacesail Constellation will start its satellite internet service globally in 2025, supporting sectors such as transportation, new energy, smart cities, smart agriculture, emergency disaster relief and low-altitude economy, according to the company.