HELSINKI — China added a new satellite to its geostationary Tianlian data tracking and relay communications satellite series Sunday with its latest launch.
A Long March 3B lifted off at 11:54 a.m. Eastern (1554 UTC) April 27 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced the success of the launch around an hour after liftoff. The previously undisclosed payload was confirmed as Tianlian-2 (05) data tracking and relay communications satellite.
The launch inserted the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Tianlian-2 (05) will later maneuver itself to take up a position along the geostationary belt (GEO), around 35,786 kilometers above the equator.
The launch follows just over a month after the launch of Tianlian-2 (04), another second-generation Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellite. The satellite will provide data relay and telemetry, tracking and command services for crewed spacecraft and the Tiangong space station. It will also provide similar services for medium and low Earth orbit satellites, and support for launches, according to Chinese media.
Tianlian satellites are key pieces of China’s space infrastructure and integral to its operations, performing a similar role as the U.S. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The Tianlian system, with satellites placed at various points around GEO, provides near constant coverage for Tiangong as it orbits the Earth.
China launched its first Tianlian satellite—Tianlian-1 (01)—in 2008. It, and the subsequent Tianlian-1 (02) and (03) satellites, are now in graveyard orbits above the geostationary belt, according to U.S. Space Force space tracking data, having completed their missions. Tianlian-1 (04) and (05), together with the new generation Tianlian-2 (01-04) satellites, remain active in GEO.
Tianlian satellites are developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a major spacecraft-making institute under CASC, the country’s state-owned main space contractor. While the Tianlian-1 satellites are based on the DFH-3 satellite platform, the newer Tianlian-2 satellites use the DFH-4 communications satellite platform, providing improved bandwidth and higher data transmission rates, and operational lifespans of up to 15 years.
Sunday’s launch was China’s 22nd orbital launch of 2025. It follows the April 24 launch of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft atop of a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan. The mission saw three astronauts arrive at Tiangong to begin a six-month stay aboard the space station.
China’s next launch is expected to be of a Long March 5B rocket with a Yuanzheng-2 upper stage from the coastal Wenchang spaceport, Monday, April 28.
The next action for the Long March 3B rocket—a hypergolic launcher frequently used for launches to GTO—could be the launch of the Tianwen-2 near-Earth asteroid sample return and comet rendezvous mission. While there is no official announcement of a precise launch date, indications are that the launch is scheduled for late May from Xichang.
Unlike previous years, CASC has not publicly released an overview of its launch plans for 2025. Last year it stated a goal of around 70 launches, with a further 30 or so attempts expected from commercial actors, while reaching a total of 68 launches. Trends suggest a similar target of around 100 launches can be expected for 2025, with an expected increase in commercial activity, with a number of new, medium-lift and potentially reusable rockets targeting debut flights, supported in part by an expansion of launch facilities. Such a target would, however, require an increase in launch cadence as the year progresses.
