One rocket, one launch, 22 satellites

China's Long March 8 rocket set a new record at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in South China's Hainan province on Sunday, when a rocket lifted off with 22 satellites, which were later released in space.

The technology behind a single rocket lifting off with multiple satellites inside is a difficult one, as all the satellites must be stacked suitably apart inside, like "passengers" in a very crowded vehicle.

The design of the rocket must be such that the satellites inside do not touch or block each other in the release process.

Also, when the rocket reaches its release point, the doors must open to let the satellites emerge. The timing is controlled so that the satellites have ample time and do not collide with each other. During Sunday's launch, the 22 satellites were released in 12 rows.

In 1981, China sent three satellites into orbit with one single rocket launch, thus becoming the third country in the world to have mastered the technology. Even today, only five countries and the European Space Agency have the technology.

More satellites are needed to cater to the demand of various sectors, from remote communication to weather forecasting, even automated driving. Starlink, which is part of billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX project, plans to launch 40,000 satellites. Some of the satellites launched by SpaceX are even smaller than a coffee mug or book, but they still need a rocket to propel them into space first.

The more satellites China can send with a single rocket launch, the more competitive it will be.

That means China has a long way to go in the "single rocket, multiple satellites" technology.

On Jan 24, 2021, SpaceX's lone Falcon rocket released 143 satellites in space, setting a new world record.

But thanks to the efforts of Chinese scientists and engineers, China might break that record one day soon.