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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
World
Bernadette B. Tixon

China's Floating Rocket Launchpad Sends Nine Satellites Soaring 800KM Into Space in Historic First

The Gravity-1 Y3 rocket lifts off from a sea-based launch platform off the coast of Shanghai on 16 September 2026, carrying nine satellites into orbit (Credit: Screenshot from YouTube/ 新闻来了 News Daily)

A rocket fired from a floating platform in the East China Sea has sent nine satellites into their preset orbits, in a mission China describes as the world's first sea-based mobile launch dedicated to networking a low Earth orbit broadband internet constellation.

The launch also set new Chinese records for the heaviest payload and highest orbital altitude achieved in a single sea-based launch.

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