China launched the first batch of 18 satellites for its “Thousand Sails” constellation on Tuesday.
China begins launching a megaconstellation, and it sounds a lot like Starlink
Like Starlink, China's Qianfan satellites have an easy-to-pack flat-panel design.https://t.co/Ul4x72OV5W
— Amit Paranjape (@aparanjape) August 7, 2024
A Long March 6A rocket took off from the Taiyuan launch center in northern Shanxi Province and successfully delivered the satellites into orbit. The Thousand Sails constellation aims to provide global internet coverage by deploying over 15,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit.
This project positions China in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink and the European-owned OneWeb. Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), a company backed by Shanghai’s municipal government, is developing the Thousand Sails network. SSST plans to initially deploy 1,296 satellites at an altitude of about 1,160 kilometers.
LAUNCH at 0644 UTC of CZ-6A from Taiyuan with 18 Qianfan Xingzuo communications satellites. The satellites are similar to the V1 Starlinks, with flat-panel morphology and a mass of 300 kg each. This 'G60' constellation is planned to eventually have 14000 satellites.
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) August 6, 2024
The Qianfan satellites have a “standardized and modular” flat-panel design similar to SpaceX’s Starlink satellites.
LAUNCH at 0742 UTC Aug 4 of 23 Starlink sats (Group 11-1) from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a Falcon 9.
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) August 4, 2024
China launches Thousand Sails satellites
The new Qianfan satellite factory in Shanghai can produce up to 300 spacecraft per year.
SSST announced in February that it had raised more than $900 million from Chinese state-backed investment funds, Shanghai’s municipal government, and venture capital sources. China has another planned satellite internet network called Guowang, or “national network,” supported by the central government. Guowang is owned by a state-backed company called SatNet and aims to consist of 13,000 satellites.
China’s interest in developing its satellite constellation stems from concerns about potential threats to national security posed by existing satellite networks. The Chinese military has speculated that such constellations could be used for military purposes by the U.S.
The Chinese government has ambitious plans for the Thousand Sails Constellation, aiming to enhance its global broadband capabilities and ensure its national security interests are protected. The deployment of these megaconstellations will require a significant increase in China’s launch capacity, driving the development of new commercial rockets to lower costs and increase flight rates.
