The group of 18 satellites were launched at 2:42 p.m. local time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi Province attached to a Long March 6A rocket for Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology, which raised $943 million for the project.

The launch marked the 530th flight mission for the Long March carrier rocket series.

They were the first set of satellites of the first-generation Spacesail satellites, which will comprise the Thousand Sails low Earth orbit communications megaconstellation with the goal to improve and provide global Internet access

The satellites will provide users with "low-latency, high-speed and ultra-reliable satellite broadband Internet services," according to China Great Wall Industry Corp., the launch service provider.

It is one of two planned Chinese systems to challenge American projects, including Starlink.

When complete, it will consist of more than 14,000 low-orbit broadband satellites.

The first stage of the constellation is expected to consist of 1,296 satellites with about 648 to be launched by the end of next year in the effort to provide network coverage.

Earlier reports indicated 108 satellites were to be launched through the rest of the year in separate batches of 36 and 54 satellites.

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