Qianfan adds two batches in two days, reaches 238 satellites

SpaceSail's Qianfan (Thousand Sails) megaconstellation added two groups of satellites in as many days: a Long March 6A carried 18 satellites into near-polar orbit from Taiyuan on July 4, followed by a Long March 8A lofting 20 satellites - the largest Qianfan group to date - from Wenchang on July 5. The back-to-back launches lifted the constellation to 238 satellites in orbit as SpaceSail works toward commercial broadband service, including international markets, targeted for Q4 2026. The operator is separately raising up to $2.2 billion to accelerate the Starlink rival.