China launches first batch of 18 Qianfan satellites(1/6)

A modified Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Aug. 6, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zheng Bin)

China successfully sent 18 Qianfan satellites to establish China's "own version of Starlink," marking a "milestone event" in the global satellite internet industry.

A modified Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Aug. 6, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zheng Bin)

A modified Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Aug. 6, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zheng Bin)

A modified Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Aug. 6, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zheng Bin)

A modified Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Aug. 6, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zheng Bin)

A modified Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying a new satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Aug. 6, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zheng Bin)