On Monday, a Chinese state-owned enterprise launched the first batch of satellites for a mega-constellation designed to rival SpaceX’s Starlink, the US company’s near-global internet network, according to a state-backed newspaper.
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This launch is a significant step towards Beijing’s strategic goal of creating its own version of Starlink, which currently operates around 5,500 satellites providing broadband services to consumers, companies, and government agencies.
The race to occupy Earth’s lower orbits has military implications, potentially affecting the balance of power between nations.
The launch, conducted by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), took place at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province, one of China’s main satellite and missile launch sites, reported the China Securities Journal.
This effort is part of SSST’s “Thousand Sails Constellation” plan, also known as the “G60 Starlink Plan,” initiated last year with the goal of deploying over 15,000 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. LEO satellites, operating at altitudes of 300 km to 2,000 km from Earth, offer the advantages of being cheaper and providing more efficient transmission compared to higher-orbit satellites.
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk, has tens of thousands of users in the US and plans to expand its system with tens of thousands more satellites, making it the largest constellation of its kind. Chinese researchers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have studied Starlink’s deployment in the Ukraine war over the past two years and have repeatedly warned about the risks it poses to China in a potential military conflict with the US.
In January, a PLA mouthpiece described Starlink’s deployment as a “serious threat to the security of space assets of various countries.”
SSST’s “Thousand Sails Constellation” is one of three “ten-thousand-star constellation” plans China is pursuing to close the gap with SpaceX. SSST aims to launch 108 satellites this year, 648 by the end of 2025, achieve global network coverage by 2027, and deploy 15,000 satellites before 2030. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
