A Jielong-3 rocket lifts off from a sea launch platform at night, its bright exhaust plume illuminating clouds of smoke and silhouetting a crowd of spectators in the foreground.
A Jielong-3 rocket lifts off from a barge off the coast of Rizhao, carrying 11 satellites into orbit for Geespace, Aug. 8, 2025.

Private Chinese satellite operator Geespace added 11 spacecraft to its expanding Internet of Things constellation Friday, aiming to boost low-power connectivity in key emerging markets.

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Andrew Jones covers China's space industry for SpaceNews. Andrew has previously lived in China and reported from major space conferences there. Based in Helsinki, Finland, he has written for National Geographic, New Scientist, Smithsonian Magazine, Sky...