GalaxySpace Technology Company (China) rocket launched in March 2022
China is expected to launch about 26,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit this year to cover the entire world in a plan led by state-owned corporations, Nikkei Asia reported on January 10.
As military applications of satellite-based communications systems in combat are increasing in places like Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, China is set to set up its own satellite network to compete with the US StarLink system.
Construction of a launch pad for Chinese satellites is underway near the Wenchang Space Launch Complex in Hainan Province, one of China's major spaceports for large rockets.
The launch site will be used primarily by the China Satellite Network Corporation, which is wholly owned by the government . The corporation was established in 2021 after Beijing informed the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of its plan to launch around 13,000 satellites by 2020 to establish a high-speed internet network.
According to Chinese media, China Satellite Network will launch about 1,300 satellites, equivalent to 10% of the planned number, from 2024 to 2029, hoping to pave the way for the establishment of a network supporting high-speed 6G communications by 2035.
Meanwhile, a space company partly owned by the Shanghai municipal government plans to put 12,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit. The company says it will launch more than 600 of them by the end of 2025.
GalaxySpace Technology, a private company founded by people in the computer networking industry, plans to launch 1,000 low-orbit satellites. Other companies also plan to launch multiple satellites into orbit.
China has ambitions to become a space power on par with the United States by around 2030. In 2020, China completed the BeiDou navigation satellite system, prompting a large number of Chinese companies to switch from the Global Positioning System (GPS) to this system.
Countries with close ties to China may also consider using these technologies for military and security purposes, including peacekeeping efforts.
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