China has marked a significant advancement in international space collaboration with the successful orbital deployment of Algeria’s AlSat-3A remote-sensing satellite. The mission utilized a Long March 2C carrier rocket that launched precisely at 12:01 pm on Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Operated by China Great Wall Industry, the overseas commercial branch of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the launch represents the first delivery under a bilateral space agreement signed in July 2023. The comprehensive contract encompasses the provision of two optical remote-sensing satellites to Algeria along with complete ground systems, specialized training, and technical support services.
The newly deployed AlSat-3A satellite, engineered by the China Academy of Space Technology (a CASC subsidiary), features advanced imaging capabilities designed to support critical applications including territorial planning, agricultural monitoring, and disaster management through high-resolution data collection.
This achievement builds upon previous Sino-Algerian space cooperation, notably the 2017 launch of the Alcomsat-1 communications satellite. The Long March 2C vehicle responsible for the deployment measures 43 meters in length with a 3.35-meter diameter, capable of delivering payloads to both low-Earth and sun-synchronous orbits with a lift-off mass of 242.5 metric tons.
The mission represents the 626th launch within the Long March rocket family and China’s third orbital launch of 2026, demonstrating the country’s growing capabilities in the global space technology market.