Long March 3B/E | Shijian 31 — what you saw in the sky & launch recap
Classified experimental Chinese satellite of unknown purposes (officially described for "spatial environment detection" purposes).
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Liftoff time
- Jun 16, 2026, 9:45 AM UTC
- Jun 16, 2026, 5:45 AM Eastern
- Jun 16, 2026, 2:45 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. The 10 most likely first:
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | Not visible | — | 7086 mi |
| Fresno, CA | Not visible | — | 7191 mi |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Not visible | — | 7240 mi |
| Pismo Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 7249 mi |
| Guadalupe, CA | Not visible | — | 7260 mi |
| Santa Maria, CA | Not visible | — | 7266 mi |
| Orcutt, CA | Not visible | — | 7271 mi |
| Vandenberg Village, CA | Not visible | — | 7278 mi |
| Lompoc, CA | Not visible | — | 7282 mi |
| Los Alamos, CA | Not visible | — | 7283 mi |
Show all 94 cities
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Not visible | — | 7292 mi |
| Buellton, CA | Not visible | — | 7293 mi |
| Solvang, CA | Not visible | — | 7296 mi |
| Santa Barbara, CA | Not visible | — | 7321 mi |
| Mojave, CA | Not visible | — | 7338 mi |
| Ventura, CA | Not visible | — | 7343 mi |
| Oxnard, CA | Not visible | — | 7351 mi |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | Not visible | — | 7364 mi |
| Malibu, CA | Not visible | — | 7377 mi |
| Pasadena, CA | Not visible | — | 7389 mi |
| Los Angeles, CA | Not visible | — | 7391 mi |
| Long Beach, CA | Not visible | — | 7409 mi |
| San Diego, CA | Not visible | — | 7502 mi |
| Philadelphia, PA | Not visible | — | 7722 mi |
| Ocean City, NJ | Not visible | — | 7766 mi |
| Baltimore, MD | Not visible | — | 7770 mi |
| Dover, DE | Not visible | — | 7777 mi |
| Cape May, NJ | Not visible | — | 7791 mi |
| Annapolis, MD | Not visible | — | 7791 mi |
| Washington, DC | Not visible | — | 7796 mi |
| Rehoboth Beach, DE | Not visible | — | 7806 mi |
| Salisbury, MD | Not visible | — | 7832 mi |
| Ocean City, MD | Not visible | — | 7832 mi |
| Berlin, MD | Not visible | — | 7834 mi |
| Pocomoke City, MD | Not visible | — | 7852 mi |
| Chincoteague, VA | Not visible | — | 7862 mi |
| Wallops Island, VA | Not visible | — | 7866 mi |
| Onancock, VA | Not visible | — | 7878 mi |
| Exmore, VA | Not visible | — | 7890 mi |
| Richmond, VA | Not visible | — | 7891 mi |
| Cape Charles, VA | Not visible | — | 7908 mi |
| Newport News, VA | Not visible | — | 7922 mi |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Not visible | — | 7937 mi |
| Norfolk, VA | Not visible | — | 7938 mi |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Not visible | — | 8157 mi |
| Charleston, SC | Not visible | — | 8218 mi |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | Not visible | — | 8255 mi |
| Savannah, GA | Not visible | — | 8264 mi |
| Brunswick, GA | Not visible | — | 8327 mi |
| Laredo, TX | Not visible | — | 8329 mi |
| Valdosta, GA | Not visible | — | 8340 mi |
| Gulf Shores, AL | Not visible | — | 8345 mi |
| Pensacola Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8345 mi |
| Rockport, TX | Not visible | — | 8349 mi |
| Corpus Christi, TX | Not visible | — | 8356 mi |
| Tallahassee, FL | Not visible | — | 8361 mi |
| Port Aransas, TX | Not visible | — | 8361 mi |
| Jacksonville, FL | Not visible | — | 8382 mi |
| Grand Isle, LA | Not visible | — | 8386 mi |
| St. Augustine, FL | Not visible | — | 8413 mi |
| Gainesville, FL | Not visible | — | 8426 mi |
| Palm Coast, FL | Not visible | — | 8436 mi |
| McAllen, TX | Not visible | — | 8442 mi |
| Harlingen, TX | Not visible | — | 8454 mi |
| Daytona Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8462 mi |
| Bayview, TX | Not visible | — | 8464 mi |
| Los Fresnos, TX | Not visible | — | 8467 mi |
| Laguna Vista, TX | Not visible | — | 8469 mi |
| South Padre Island, TX | Not visible | — | 8472 mi |
| Port Isabel, TX | Not visible | — | 8473 mi |
| New Smyrna Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8475 mi |
| Brownsville, TX | Not visible | — | 8477 mi |
| Sanford, FL | Not visible | — | 8489 mi |
| Mims, FL | Not visible | — | 8501 mi |
| Titusville, FL | Not visible | — | 8504 mi |
| Orlando, FL | Not visible | — | 8507 mi |
| Port Canaveral, FL | Not visible | — | 8518 mi |
| Merritt Island, FL | Not visible | — | 8522 mi |
| Rockledge, FL | Not visible | — | 8523 mi |
| Kissimmee, FL | Not visible | — | 8524 mi |
| Cocoa Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8525 mi |
| Satellite Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8534 mi |
| Lakeland, FL | Not visible | — | 8539 mi |
| Indialantic, FL | Not visible | — | 8541 mi |
| Melbourne, FL | Not visible | — | 8541 mi |
| Tampa, FL | Not visible | — | 8543 mi |
| Palm Bay, FL | Not visible | — | 8545 mi |
| Sebastian, FL | Not visible | — | 8560 mi |
| Vero Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8572 mi |
| Fort Pierce, FL | Not visible | — | 8586 mi |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Not visible | — | 8598 mi |
| West Palm Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 8637 mi |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Not visible | — | 8678 mi |
| Miami, FL | Not visible | — | 8703 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.
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Explore more
Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated July 13, 2026.