Long March 6A Launch: July 30, 2026 Time & How to Watch

A Long March 6A rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 9A at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China on July 30, 2026, at 01:00 UTC, carrying an undisclosed payload. The mission is operated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and is currently listed as "Go" for launch.

The Long March 6A is a Chinese medium-lift orbital rocket — the first in the Long March family to combine a liquid-fueled core with strap-on solid rocket boosters. It typically delivers payloads into sun-synchronous and low Earth orbits.

When is the launch?

The launch is scheduled for July 30, 2026, at 01:00 UTC (09:00 China Standard Time). The window may shift based on weather and range availability, as is common with Chinese missions, which are often confirmed only shortly before liftoff.

What is the payload?

The payload for this mission has not been publicly disclosed by CASC. Chinese launches frequently keep satellite details confidential until after a successful orbital insertion. The Long March 6A is regularly used to deploy satellites into sun-synchronous orbit, often for remote-sensing, technology-demonstration, or communications constellations.

Once the payload separates and begins orbiting Earth, you will be able to follow it on the Cosmik live 3D satellite map alongside the tens of thousands of other objects already tracked in orbit.

What is the Long March 6A?

The Long March 6A (Chang Zheng 6A) debuted in March 2022 and stands roughly 50 meters tall. It pairs a two-stage liquid-propellant core burning kerolox with four solid strap-on boosters, giving it a low-Earth-orbit capacity of around 4,500 kg and a sun-synchronous capacity near 4,000 kg. It is the first Chinese rocket to use this liquid-plus-solid hybrid architecture, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) under CASC.

The vehicle launches exclusively from Launch Complex 9A at Taiyuan, a facility in Shanxi Province optimized for polar and sun-synchronous orbit missions. Taiyuan is one of China's four main spaceports and has supported hundreds of orbital launches since the 1960s.

How to watch live

Chinese launches are not always carried on a public live stream, and CASC typically releases footage after liftoff rather than during real-time coverage. When a webcast is available, it is usually distributed through Chinese state media outlets such as CCTV.

Even without a live broadcast, you can track the countdown and follow the mission's status on Cosmik:

• Check the full rocket launch schedule for the latest timing updates.
• Browse the newest launch news for post-flight confirmation.
• Watch the deployed satellite appear on the live 3D map after orbital insertion.

Why does this launch matter?

China has maintained one of the highest annual launch cadences of any nation, and the Long March 6A is a key workhorse for expanding the country's low Earth orbit satellite fleet. Missions from Taiyuan often add to sun-synchronous constellations used for Earth observation and communications, contributing to the growing number of active satellites overhead.

For readers new to orbital tracking, our guide on how to track satellites explains how to spot newly launched spacecraft as they pass over your location.

Launch data source

Timing and status for this mission are drawn from public launch databases, including The Space Devs Launch Library. Background on the vehicle and spaceport is available via Long March 6A and Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on Wikipedia.

Follow the launch live on Cosmik

Track this Long March 6A mission in real time and watch its payload join the orbital map after liftoff. Enable free launch alerts on Cosmik to get notified before the countdown reaches zero, and explore every satellite in orbit on our live 3D solar system map.