TEDA-made Long March 8A Tops Successful Maiden Flight

At 5:30 PM on February 11, the Long March 8A carrier rocket successfully launched the Low Earth Orbit 02 satellite constellation into its designated orbit, marking the successful completion of its maiden flight. The Long March 8A rocket was manufactured and assembled by TEDA-based Tianjin Aerospace Long March Rocket Manufacturing Co., Ltd. It is an upgraded version of the Long March 8 rocket, standing at a height of 50.5 meters. The second stage features a newly developed 3.35-meter diameter universal hydrogen-oxygen upper stage, and the fairing diameter reaches 5.2 meters, allowing it to carry more complex satellite payloads. With a capacity of up to 7 tons for a 700-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit, it becomes a powerful "carrier" for medium and low Earth orbit satellite constellations, significantly supporting large-scale constellation network missions.

Tianjin Aerospace Long March Rocket Manufacturing Co., Ltd., located in the western area of TEDA, undertakes the production of components and subassemblies for China’s next-generation large-scale launch vehicles, including the Long March 5, Long March 5B, and the medium-sized Long March 7, Long March 7A, Long March 8, and Long March 8A rockets, along with full rocket assembly, testing, and other tasks.