GeeSpace Launches 11 Satellites for Geli Constellation Using Smart Dragon-3 Rocket from Shandong, China.

On September 9, 2025, at 03:48 Beijing Time, GeeSpace, a Chinese space technology company, successfully launched 11 satellites for its Geli Constellation using the Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) rocket. The mission was carried out from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, near Rizhao city in East China’s Shandong Province.

      - The Geli Constellation is owned by GeeSpace, a subsidiary of Gee Technology Group, and aims to establish a large-scale satellite network to provide Internet of Things (IoT) communication services to global users.

      - In its first phase, the constellation will comprise a total of 75 satellites by the end of 2025, strengthening China’s role in the global commercial satellite communication sector.

      - The 11 satellites launched were deployed into a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), which allows them to pass over the same region at consistent local solar times, enabling precise Earth observation and resource monitoring.

Main Point :-   (i) The constellation’s purpose includes scientific research, land resource mapping, crop yield prediction, and disaster prevention and relief operations, contributing to agriculture, environmental monitoring, and emergency response.

      (ii) The launch vehicle, Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3), was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). It is a four-stage solid-propellant carrier rocket designed to deliver spacecraft to Sun-synchronous orbit or Low Earth orbit (LEO).

(iii) The SD-3 rocket has a payload capacity of 1.5 tonnes to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit. This launch marked its seventh flight mission, demonstrating growing reliability and China’s increasing launch frequency in the small satellite sector.
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