Two Chinese Rockets Deliver 12 Advanced Satellites into Orbitby Riko SeiboTokyo, Japan (SPX) Sep 17, 2025China successfully carried out two separate rocket launches on Tuesday, deploying a total of 12 satellites into orbit. At 3:48 am, a Smart Dragon 3 rocket lifted off from a sea-based platform near Rizhao in Shandong province, placing 11 multifunction satellites into low-Earth orbit about 600 km above Earth. The launch marked the seventh maritime flight for this solid-fueled rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. It can deliver payloads of up to 1.5 tons into a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit. The Long March 7A, also developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, weighs 573 tons at launch, with a 3.35-meter core diameter.