Watch: China’s Long March-8A rocket’s vertical transfer

Premium

MILITARY ENERGY VIDEOS NEWSLETTERS IE ACADEMY WEBINARS PHOTO STORY PODCASTS ENGINEERS DIRECTORY About Us Subscription Contact Us Advertise Log in Sign up

Innovation Get your news fromINTERESTING ENGINEERING

China’s Long March-8A rocket began its vertical transfer to Pad 1 at the Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang early on September 19, 2026, with launch expected soon. The upgraded rocket can lift 7 tonnes to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit and has been flying batches of satellites for China’s Guowang megaconstellation.

Early on September 19, a 50-metre rocket rolled across China’s Hainan coast, standing straight up.

This is the Long March-8A, moving from its assembly building to Pad 1 at the Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang.

It’s stacked and checked upright, then carried out on a mobile platform, the way China’s heavier rockets travel to the pad.

The upgraded 8A first flew in February 2025. It can put 7 tonnes into a 700-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit.

Its recent flights have carried batches of satellites for Guowang, China’s answer to Starlink.

China plans around 15 Long March-8 series launches this year, and this one is expected to lift off soon.

2 months ago

Innovation

Watch: China’s Long March-8A rocket’s vertical transfer

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS

Boston Dynamics’ Atlas Robots Row in Sync

Transparent Differential Cover Demonstration

How Massive Plastic Tanks Are Made

The Drone That Hides in Motion

Bionic Hand Works Even When Detached

The Austin company building long-range autonomous cargo planes

This YC Startup Built a Camera That Sees Through Walls – Here’s How It Works

Firefighting Drone in Action

AI Robots Now Run China’s Cotton Fields

NASA Crash-Tests a Lightweight Helicopter to Study Spine-Crushing Impact Forces

Transparent Differential Cover Demonstration

How Massive Plastic Tanks Are Made

The Drone That Hides in Motion

Bionic Hand Works Even When Detached

The Austin company building long-range autonomous cargo planes

This YC Startup Built a Camera That Sees Through Walls – Here’s How It Works

Firefighting Drone in Action

AI Robots Now Run China’s Cotton Fields

NASA Crash-Tests a Lightweight Helicopter to Study Spine-Crushing Impact Forces

Related stories

Make It Loud With These Tested Party Speakers

I Took an At-Home Pet DNA Test Kit and Found Out My Cat Is a Cat

The Data Center Backlash Should Also Be a Climate Reckoning. It Isn’t Yet

Nicotine Is Mounting a Comeback in the Wellness Movement

Could high altitude wind be the answer to consistent energy?

Some Pancreatic Cells Are Just One Genetic Tweak Away From Treating Diabetes

Related stories

Make It Loud With These Tested Party Speakers

I Took an At-Home Pet DNA Test Kit and Found Out My Cat Is a Cat

The Data Center Backlash Should Also Be a Climate Reckoning. It Isn’t Yet

Nicotine Is Mounting a Comeback in the Wellness Movement

Could high altitude wind be the answer to consistent energy?

Some Pancreatic Cells Are Just One Genetic Tweak Away From Treating Diabetes