China Launches Six Satellites for Company That Sold Images to the Wagner PMC

The Chinese startup Landspace launched six satellites for the company Spacety into orbit using its Zhuque-2E rocket powered by methane fuel.

Space News reported on this.

The Zhuque-2E launched on May 17 from a special site at the Commercial Test Zone for Space Innovations Dongfeng at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

This marked the second flight of the upgraded Zhuque-2E rocket, powered by methane-oxygen fuel, which can carry up to 4,000 kg to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km. The rocket’s maiden launch took place in November 2024, during which the Guangchuan 01 and 02 satellites were successfully deployed into orbit for the commercial company Laser Starcom.

Liquid methane is considered a promising fuel due to its higher energy density compared to traditional kerosene. In particular, it is planned to be used for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft.

The Zhuque-2E rocket is 47.3 meters long and has a diameter of 3.35 meters. During its second launch, an expanded payload fairing with a diameter of 4.2 meters, made of composite materials, was used to increase the payload volume.

Security Challenges of China’s Space Program

The rocket successfully deployed six Tianyi satellites for Spacety into orbit. The satellites are intended for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging in the C-band (Tianyi-42), optical remote sensing (Tianyi-29 and 35), and scientific experiments (Tianyi-34, 45, and 46).

The company Spacety (Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute) is known for selling images to the “Wagner group,” which led to it being sanctioned by the United States. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Treasury Department, Spacety provided orders for radar satellite imagery (SAR) of objects in Ukraine to Terra Tech — a Russian technology company that was controlled by the Wagner PMC.

“These images were collected to support Wagner’s operations in Ukraine,” the U.S. Department of the Treasury stated.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against the Wagner group on January 26, 2023, recognizing it as a transnational criminal organization.

The Chinese side not only sold images to the Wagner group but also the satellites themselves. In October 2023, it was reported that a company linked to the Wagner PMC had purchased two Chinese satellites for reconnaissance purposes.

According to the text of the agreement, which was drafted in both English and Russian, it was signed on November 15, 2022, between Beijing Yunze Technology Co and the company LLC “Nika-Fruit,” which at that time was part of the business structures of Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the so-called Wagner PMC.

The Chinese side sold two high-resolution Earth observation satellites to the Wagner PMC, owned by the Chinese space giant Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGST). The value of the contract exceeded USD 30 million (235 million yuan). In addition to the satellites themselves, the agreement included the provision of additional services.