China launched a new group of internet satellites into orbit early on Thursday morning, according to the mission contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The satellites are the 21st group of low-orbit hardware for China's State-owned internet network. They were lifted by a Long March 6A carrier rocket at 3:38 am from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, successfully delivering the satellites to their orbital positions.

The satellites were developed by the Shanghai-based Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Following this latest deployment, the space-based internet system, often likened to the Chinese version of SpaceX's Starlink, now has nearly 170 satellites operating in low orbits.

Upon completion, the Chinese mega-constellation is expected to consist of about 13,000 satellites operating in low-Earth orbit to create an internet system with worldwide coverage.

The Long March 6A rocket, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, is a medium-lift launch vehicle featuring a 50-meter liquid-propelled core booster and four solid-fuel side boosters. With a liftoff weight of 530 metric tons, the rocket is tasked with transporting satellites to multiple orbits, including sun-synchronous, low-Earth and intermediate circular orbits.

The latest launch marked China's 23rd space mission this year and the 637th flight of the Long March rocket fleet. It was also the sixth mission for the Long March 6A model specifically tasked with deploying low-orbit internet satellites.