Smart Dragon 3 | SatNet test satellite — launch recap & visibility
Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellite". Probable 1 (?) test satellite for the Chinese state-owned LEO communication satellite constellation SatNet.
Liftoff time
- Apr 11, 2026, 11:32 AM UTC
- Apr 11, 2026, 7:32 AM Eastern
- Apr 11, 2026, 4:32 AM Pacific
Which cities could see this launch?
Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon at the time of liftoff:
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | Not visible | — | 7073 mi |
| Fresno, CA | Not visible | — | 7189 mi |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Not visible | — | 7217 mi |
| Pismo Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 7224 mi |
| Guadalupe, CA | Not visible | — | 7234 mi |
| Santa Maria, CA | Not visible | — | 7241 mi |
| Orcutt, CA | Not visible | — | 7245 mi |
| Vandenberg Village, CA | Not visible | — | 7250 mi |
| Lompoc, CA | Not visible | — | 7254 mi |
| Los Alamos, CA | Not visible | — | 7257 mi |
| Buellton, CA | Not visible | — | 7267 mi |
| Solvang, CA | Not visible | — | 7269 mi |
| Bakersfield, CA | Not visible | — | 7283 mi |
| Santa Barbara, CA | Not visible | — | 7296 mi |
| Ventura, CA | Not visible | — | 7321 mi |
| Oxnard, CA | Not visible | — | 7329 mi |
| Mojave, CA | Not visible | — | 7333 mi |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | Not visible | — | 7345 mi |
| Malibu, CA | Not visible | — | 7357 mi |
| Pasadena, CA | Not visible | — | 7376 mi |
| Los Angeles, CA | Not visible | — | 7376 mi |
| Long Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 7391 mi |
| San Diego, CA | Not visible | — | 7484 mi |
| Philadelphia, PA | Not visible | — | 8174 mi |
| Baltimore, MD | Not visible | — | 8208 mi |
| Ocean City, NJ | Not visible | — | 8224 mi |
| Dover, DE | Not visible | — | 8226 mi |
| Washington, DC | Not visible | — | 8230 mi |
| Annapolis, MD | Not visible | — | 8230 mi |
| Cape May, NJ | Not visible | — | 8245 mi |
| Rehoboth Beach, DE | Not visible | — | 8259 mi |
| Salisbury, MD | Not visible | — | 8280 mi |
| Ocean City, MD | Not visible | — | 8285 mi |
| Berlin, MD | Not visible | — | 8286 mi |
| Pocomoke City, MD | Not visible | — | 8300 mi |
| Chincoteague, VA | Not visible | — | 8311 mi |
| Wallops Island, VA | Not visible | — | 8316 mi |
| Richmond, VA | Not visible | — | 8320 mi |
| Onancock, VA | Not visible | — | 8323 mi |
| Exmore, VA | Not visible | — | 8335 mi |
| Cape Charles, VA | Not visible | — | 8351 mi |
| Newport News, VA | Not visible | — | 8359 mi |
| Norfolk, VA | Not visible | — | 8377 mi |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Not visible | — | 8380 mi |
| Laredo, TX | Not visible | — | 8453 mi |
| Rockport, TX | Not visible | — | 8508 mi |
| Corpus Christi, TX | Not visible | — | 8509 mi |
| Port Aransas, TX | Not visible | — | 8519 mi |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Not visible | — | 8564 mi |
| McAllen, TX | Not visible | — | 8573 mi |
| Harlingen, TX | Not visible | — | 8592 mi |
| Bayview, TX | Not visible | — | 8605 mi |
| Los Fresnos, TX | Not visible | — | 8606 mi |
| Laguna Vista, TX | Not visible | — | 8611 mi |
| Charleston, SC | Not visible | — | 8612 mi |
| South Padre Island, TX | Not visible | — | 8615 mi |
| Brownsville, TX | Not visible | — | 8615 mi |
| Port Isabel, TX | Not visible | — | 8616 mi |
| Gulf Shores, AL | Not visible | — | 8635 mi |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | Not visible | — | 8638 mi |
| Savannah, GA | Not visible | — | 8642 mi |
| Grand Isle, LA | Not visible | — | 8643 mi |
| Pensacola Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8643 mi |
| Valdosta, GA | Not visible | — | 8689 mi |
| Tallahassee, FL | Not visible | — | 8695 mi |
| Brunswick, GA | Not visible | — | 8698 mi |
| Jacksonville, FL | Not visible | — | 8750 mi |
| Gainesville, FL | Not visible | — | 8784 mi |
| St. Augustine, FL | Not visible | — | 8784 mi |
| Palm Coast, FL | Not visible | — | 8807 mi |
| Daytona Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8835 mi |
| New Smyrna Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8848 mi |
| Sanford, FL | Not visible | — | 8858 mi |
| Orlando, FL | Not visible | — | 8873 mi |
| Mims, FL | Not visible | — | 8874 mi |
| Titusville, FL | Not visible | — | 8878 mi |
| Kissimmee, FL | Not visible | — | 8889 mi |
| Tampa, FL | Not visible | — | 8893 mi |
| Port Canaveral, FL | Not visible | — | 8894 mi |
| Lakeland, FL | Not visible | — | 8896 mi |
| Merritt Island, FL | Not visible | — | 8896 mi |
| Rockledge, FL | Not visible | — | 8897 mi |
| Cocoa Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8900 mi |
| Satellite Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8910 mi |
| Melbourne, FL | Not visible | — | 8916 mi |
| Indialantic, FL | Not visible | — | 8917 mi |
| Palm Bay, FL | Not visible | — | 8920 mi |
| Sebastian, FL | Not visible | — | 8936 mi |
| Vero Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8949 mi |
| Fort Pierce, FL | Not visible | — | 8963 mi |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Not visible | — | 8974 mi |
| West Palm Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 9017 mi |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Not visible | — | 9055 mi |
| Miami, FL | Not visible | — | 9078 mi |
Where to look
A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.
More upcoming launches
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- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-43 — In 3 days
- South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV | Demo Flight — In 4 days
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- H3-30 | H3-30 Test Flight — In 6 days
Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated June 4, 2026.