About China Launches
China’s launch programme
China flies more orbital launches than any country except the United States. Most use the Long March family operated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: Long March 2 for crewed Shenzhou flights, Long March 5 and 7 for heavy cargo and space-station modules, and many smaller variants for satellites.
A fast-growing commercial sector adds rockets such as Zhuque, Ceres, Kinetica, Tianlong and Hyperbola. Several of these companies are testing reusable first stages, and new models appear in the schedule regularly.
Four inland and coastal spaceports
Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert hosts crewed Shenzhou launches and many commercial rockets. Taiyuan in Shanxi province is used for polar and sun-synchronous orbits, Xichang in Sichuan for navigation and geostationary satellites, and Wenchang on Hainan Island for the largest rockets because it is closer to the equator and lets spent stages fall into the sea.
Some solid-fuelled rockets also launch from ships in the Yellow Sea, which avoids flying over populated areas.
Why exact times appear late
Chinese launch times are often confirmed only by airspace and maritime warnings a day or two before launch. Until then, records show a target date or a window. This page updates as soon as the launch database receives the new time, so check back closer to the date.
Recent results further down show the outcome of the latest Chinese launches that appear in the worldwide feed.
For satellite objects that have already reached orbit, use Recently Launched Satellites. For wider orbital tracking, open the Satellite Directory or the Deep Space section.
China’s spaceports
| Spaceport | Province | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Jiuquan | Inner Mongolia (Gobi Desert) | Shenzhou crew flights, many commercial rockets |
| Taiyuan | Shanxi | Polar and sun-synchronous orbits |
| Xichang | Sichuan | BeiDou navigation and geostationary satellites |
| Wenchang | Hainan Island | Long March 5 and 7, space-station modules, lunar missions |
Wenchang is China’s most southerly spaceport, at about 19° north, which helps heavy rockets reach geostationary and lunar trajectories.
Data, update and accuracy details
- Data source: the Launch Library 2 database from The Space Devs, which aggregates launch-provider announcements.
- How often data refreshes: the schedule is cached on our server for up to 15 minutes; refresh the page to see the newest cached copy.
- Accuracy: launch times can change at short notice because of weather, range conflicts or technical checks. The page shows the planned time and its precision label; it is not a live telemetry or webcast feed. Confirm critical plans, such as travelling to a viewing site, with the launch provider.
Content last reviewed: 30 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which launches appear on this page?
Launches from Chinese spaceports and by Chinese launch providers, including the state Long March family and commercial companies.
Why are Chinese launch times often missing?
Exact times are usually published shortly before launch, so many records show only a target date until then.
How often does China launch rockets?
China is one of the busiest launch nations, with dozens of orbital launches a year. Most fly on Long March rockets, alongside a fast-growing group of commercial launchers.
Where does China launch from?
China’s main launch sites are Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert, Taiyuan in Shanxi, Xichang in Sichuan and Wenchang on Hainan Island. Some rockets also launch from sea platforms off the eastern coast.
Why do some Chinese launches have no exact time?
Chinese launch times are often announced only through airspace and maritime warnings shortly before launch, so many entries show a target date until then.
Launch schedule and associated imagery: Launch Library 2, The Space Devs. SpaceTracker.live uses a shared server-side cache and retains image credits when provided by the source record.