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Launch detail
China Rocket Co. Ltd. • Smart Dragon 3 • South China Sea (launch location 3) (NA)

China Rocket Co. Ltd. • Smart Dragon 3 • South China Sea (launch location 3)
Top answer
Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellite". Probable 1 (?) test satellite for the Chinese state-owned LEO communication satellite constellation SatNet.
Last refreshed: Apr 17, 2026, 2:35 PM GMT+8. T-Minus Zero keeps this as the canonical launch record and reconciles schedule, mission, payload, media, and provider signals when those records are available.
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Linked via Spaceflight News API (SNAPI).
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Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellite". Probable 1 (?) test satellite for the Chinese state-owned LEO communication satellite constellation SatNet.

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Open the launch pad in Google Maps satellite mode using the pad coordinates.
Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellite". Probable 1 (?) test satellite for the Chinese state-owned LEO communication satellite constellation SatNet.
Smart Dragon-3 is a solid fuel orbital rocket designed by a subsidiary of the state-owned CASC group built for the commercial market.
China Rocket Co. Ltd. is a spinoff of China’s state-owned launch vehicle manufacturer using a “commercial business model”.
6ccf7eb5b10400cadc5632082d139fdc8ba8d9e55a95297a564a1b569010dcacProvider, rocket, pad, and booster history tied to this launch.
A launch-area reference planning index. Use your location for a viewpoint-specific result.
This launch is waiting for a current solar-geometry calculation. The previous result is not shown because launch timing and sunlight geometry may have changed.
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This launch is waiting for a current solar-geometry calculation. The previous result is not shown because launch timing and sunlight geometry may have changed.
This outlook evaluates whether a broad, sunlit ascent plume could stand out. It does not yet predict whether a specific vehicle will produce one, and an unfavorable plume outlook does not mean the rocket itself will be invisible.