China Sets New Launch Record with 72 Missions in 2025

China achieved a significant milestone over the weekend by breaking its single-year launch record with a total of **72 orbital missions** in 2025. This accomplishment comes with nearly two months remaining in the year, surpassing the previous record of **68 launches** set in 2024. The latest surge included four successful rocket launches, showcasing the country’s growing capabilities in space exploration.

Two of the recent launches were conducted using the **Long March** series of rockets, which are operated by the state-owned **China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation**. The first launch took place on **November 8, 2025**, at approximately 15:00 U.S. Eastern time, when a **Long March 11H** rocket successfully placed three **Shiyan-32 satellites** into orbit. These satellites are reportedly designed to test various space-based technologies, according to Chinese media sources.

On the following night, **November 9, 2025**, a **Long March 12** rocket lifted off, deploying a batch of broadband satellites intended for the **SatNet** megaconstellation. This ambitious project aims to establish a network of **13,000 satellites** in **low Earth orbit (LEO)**, significantly enhancing global broadband connectivity if fully realized.

In addition to the Long March launches, two private rockets also contributed to the weekend’s activity. The **Kinetica-1**, operated by **CAS Space**, successfully launched on **November 8** and delivered two Earth-observing test satellites to LEO as planned. Conversely, the **Ceres-1**, launched by **Galactic Energy** on **November 9**, encountered difficulties. The rocket’s upper stage suffered an anomaly, leading to the loss of all three satellites it was carrying.

Despite this record-setting achievement, China does not currently hold the title of global launch leader for 2025. That distinction belongs to the **United States**, which has conducted over **150 orbital liftoffs** this year. A significant portion of these launches has been attributed to **SpaceX’s** **Falcon 9** rocket, which has completed **143 missions** in 2025 alone. The majority of these missions have focused on expanding **Starlink**, SpaceX’s extensive and growing broadband satellite constellation in LEO.

China’s continued investment in its space program and the increasing frequency of launches underscore its ambition to be a major player in the global aerospace sector. As the nation approaches the end of 2025, it will be interesting to see how it builds on this momentum and how its activities will shape the future of space exploration.