China continues its ambitious space program with the launch of Shijian-26, marking its ninth launch of May 2025. A Long March 4B rocket successfully lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 12:12 a.m. Eastern (0412 UTC) on May 29th. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) confirmed the launch's success. The payload, previously undisclosed, was revealed to be the experimental Shijian-26 satellite.
State media reports indicate Shijian-26 is primarily used for national land surveys, environmental management, and other fields supporting national economic development. Its development involved the Dongfanghong Satellite company (under CAST), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), and Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The involvement of CIOMP suggests potential remote sensing capabilities. However, the lack of detailed information and involvement of institutions with dual-use technology expertise hints at potential classified or military applications. The Shijian series is known for its experimental nature and testing of new technologies.
This launch follows closely after a Sepoch vertical takeoff and splashdown test and the launch of the Tianwen-2 mission. Tianwen-2 embarked on a journey to asteroid Kamoʻoalewa, a quasi-satellite of Earth. The secrecy surrounding Tianwen-2, with no live broadcast or published spacecraft images, suggests a potentially sensitive mission. A further launch saw the return-to-flight of the Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) rocket carrying six satellites. With these three launches, China has achieved 32 orbital launch attempts this year, highlighting an accelerating launch cadence. While future launch plans remain unannounced, China might be aiming for approximately 100 launches annually.