China's commercial aerospace sector is entering a phase of fast-track development in 2026, as the country launched 18 communication satellites from the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center — a coastal spaceport in Wenchang, Hainan province — on Tuesday.

The move deployed the seventh batch of networking satellites for the Qianfan Constellation into a preset orbit.

The Qianfan Constellation, also known as Spacesail Constellation, is a massive low-earth orbit commercial satellite network being built and operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies Co Ltd. LEO satellites operate at altitudes ranging from approximately 160 to 2,000 kilometers above the Earth's surface, a position that offers lower transmission latency and reduces link loss compared to higher orbits.

After the launch, 126 satellites have been lifted into space by six rockets for the Spacesail Constellation. Spacesail plans to deploy over 15,000 satellites for its satellite constellation.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it has guided the domestic frequency coordination for the above-mentioned satellites, and issued space radio station licenses and radio frequency usage permits in batches, thus providing strong support for the smooth implementation of the Qianfan Constellation project.

In February, Brazil's telecommunications regulatory agency Anatel officially authorized the Spacesail Constellation to commence commercial communication services for the South American country.

The move into the Brazilian market is rooted in a memorandum of understanding signed between Spacesail and Brazilian state-owned telecom firm Telebras in November 2024.

The agreement focuses on providing broadband internet access to remote and underserved regions of Brazil, with a particular emphasis on schools and hospitals. This initiative is expected to significantly bolster Brazil's public policies on digital inclusion.

Anatel's approval signals that the preparatory phase for commercial operations of the Spacesail Constellation in Brazil is now essentially complete, paving the way for the official launch of services this year.

Li Guotong, chief technical officer of Spacesail, said earlier that the Spacesail Constellation has undergone successful tests in Malaysia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, demonstrating stable video streaming and video calls.

Domestically, infrastructure development is also accelerating to meet the demands of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

Wenchang is also fast-tracking its commercial space ambitions. Cao Shuyu, mayor of Wenchang, confirmed the city will accelerate the construction of Phase II of the commercial space launch site and a sea-based recovery platform in 2026.

Wenchang International Aerospace City is rapidly taking shape, having already attracted 3,336 enterprises, including rocket assembly plants, satellite factories and an aerospace laboratory.

Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co said it plans to double its number of launch pads from two to four, and push forward rocket-recovery technology.

Yang Tianliang, chairman of the company, said: "By the end of 2026, we will have launch pads No 3 and No 4, along with a new technical area and telemetry station. Once completed, the facility will be able to handle more than 60 launches annually, with each pad supporting launch missions every 10 days, or even weekly."

Rocket recovery is seen as key to cost management efforts. With first-stage manufacturing accounting for more than 70 percent of launch expenses, Yang said the company is building a sea-recovery vessel soon to support a "launch-recover-reuse" model and enable recovery missions for domestic rocket makers.

Minsheng Securities said 2026 will be a critical year for the debut and validation of new-generation reusable rockets, both from private and State-owned enterprises, potentially marking a true turning point for commercial rocket development.

Contact the writers at masi@chinadaily.com.cn