TJSW-26A Sent Towards Geostationary Space From Wenchang [Long March 7A Y20]

Another experimental communication spacecraft has been added to China's fleet of similarly designated satellites, the third in under one month, and the first of at least a pair.

The Long March 7A Y20 vehicle lifting off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on June 23rd 2026. | Image: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

The Wenchang Space Launch Site’s Launch Complex 201 had a Long March 7A liftoff at 10:10 am China Standard Time (02:10 am Universal Coordinated Time) on June 23rd, heading for geostationary space with a single spacecraft.

That spacecraft was the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-developed TJSW-26A (通信技术试验卫星二十六号A星), known as Communication Technology Experimental Satellite-26A in English. As with the rest of the TJSW fleet deployed in recent years, the spacecraft is set to demonstrate multi-band, high-throughput communications technologies for radio, television, and data transmission. Unlike others with its name, being designated ‘26A’ implies that at least a ‘26B’ will be launched to work in tandem.

TJSW-26A is also the third satellite of its series to be sent towards geostationary space this year, after May’s TJSW-24 and June’s larger TJSW-25, all three of which have left Earth in the last month. In the last eighteen months, the TJSW fleet has grown significantly, with nine deployments throughout 2025.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology’s patch for the Long March 7A Y20 launch mision (left) and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology’s patch for TJSW-26A (right). | Image: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Last year the Long March 7 series conducted six launch missions, and this year the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology is hoping to perform twelve missions. As of today, three launches have taken place. As of the previous flight, hardware and facilities for testing, preparing, and stacking Long March 7 series vehicles allowing for two missions to be prepared in parallel, which reportedly allows for pre-flight work to occur in nineteen days instead of thirty-five.

Today’s mission was the 16th launch of a Long March 7A vehicle, the 27th launch of the Long March 7 series, and the 653rd launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 44th launch from China in 2026.

Liftoff video via 我们的太空 on WeChat.

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Check out the previous Long March 7A launch

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What is the Long March 7A?

This section is for those less familiar with China’s Long March series of launch vehicles.

The Long March 7A is the new-generation workhorse for beyond low Earth orbit missions, and was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. This vehicle utilizes a three-and-a-half-stage design and is fuelled by rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen in its boosters, first, and second stages long with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the third-stage.

The payload capacity of the launch vehicle is currently as follows:

• 8,000+ kilograms to a medium Earth transfer orbit

• 7,000 kilograms to geostationary transfer orbit

• 5,500 kilograms to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit

• 5,000 kilograms to a trans-lunar trajectory

The Long March 7A Y20 vehicle stood at Launch Complex 201 ahead of its mission on June 23rd 2026. | Image: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

The Long March 7A’s first stage is equipped with two YF-100 engines that produce 245 tons of thrust using rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen, complemented by four boosters, each with a YF-100 engine generating 122 tons of thrust, resulting in a combined thrust of approximately 733 tons. The second stage is powered by four YF-115 engines, which together generate 72 tons of thrust using the same fuel combination. The third stage of the Long March 7A features two YF-75 engines, providing 17 tons of thrust by burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

On the launchpad, the Long March 7A stands at 60.13 meters tall and weighs 573,000 kilograms when fully fuelled. The first and second-stage have a diameter of 3.35 meters, the four boosters are 2.25 meters in diameter, and the third-stage has a diameter of 3 meters, while the fairing has a diameter of 4.2 meters.

So far the Long March 7A has only flown from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, on the east coast of Hainan province.

The Long March 7A’s fairing heading from its cleanroom towards a vehicle assembly bay for stacking with the rest of the launch vehicle. | Image: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

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