China Launches Starlink Competitor with New Orbital Satellite Network
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A Chinese state-owned company has embarked on an ambitious project to build a large orbital satellite network, comparable to SpaceX’s Starlink, by successfully launching its first batch of 18 satellites.
According to the state-run China Securities Journal, this launch occurred on Monday, with all 18 satellites being deployed from a single rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province.
These 18 satellites mark the beginning of the company’s extensive plan to establish a constellation of 15,000 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, known as the “Thousand Sails Constellation.” The company aims to complete this vast network by 2030. The Thousand Sails Constellation has drawn comparisons to SpaceX’s Starlink network, which currently consists of around 6,000 satellites, with Elon Musk’s long-term goal of expanding it to a 42,000-satellite constellation.
The Thousand Sails Constellation, also called the G60 project, is one of three large-scale satellite networks planned within China, each expected to consist of at least 10,000 satellites.
Similar to Starlink, the majority of these satellites will operate in Low Earth Orbit, at altitudes ranging from 200 to 1,200 miles above Earth.
The development of these three constellations, along with various other ambitious space initiatives by Chinese companies, is being fueled by the Chinese government’s recent push to involve the private sector in advancing the country’s science and technology goals.