China has made a significant advancement in its quest to create a competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink by launching the first of what is intended to be a vast network of 14,000 satellites providing broadband internet from space.
According to CNN, on Tuesday, eighteen satellites were successfully deployed into low Earth orbit as part of the maiden launch for the Qianfan, or Spacesail, constellation, according to reports from state media.
This constellation, dubbed China’s response to SpaceX’s Starlink in domestic coverage, is set to join a growing list of large-scale satellite projects from various countries aiming to offer global broadband internet services via satellite networks.
Leading the charge in this sector is Starlink, which has over 6,000 satellites currently in orbit and plans to expand to as many as 42,000, maintaining a dominant position due to its early start and advanced launch technologies.
While most people access the internet through terrestrial infrastructure, satellite internet has become crucial for remote, underserved, and disaster-stricken regions.
It’s also vital for the expansion of technologies like autonomous vehicles and other internet-dependent devices, areas where China seeks to assert its leadership.
Qianfan, also known as G60 Starlink, is one of three massive Chinese constellations in the works that could see the country deploying nearly 40,000 satellites into LEO, which is defined as an orbit no more than 1,200 miles above Earth. These mega constellations involve networks of hundreds or thousands of satellites.
This launch is part of China’s broader effort to accelerate its commercial space industry, aligning with Beijing’s strategy to secure a leading role in space.
The nation has already made remarkable progress in its ambitious space agenda, which includes sending astronauts to the moon by 2030 and launching military satellites for purposes like navigation, communication, and surveillance.
Experts suggest that controlling LEO broadband satellite constellations could be highly beneficial for China, allowing its companies to offer services both domestically and internationally while enhancing Beijing’s influence, data control, and national security.
The rollout of Qianfan, managed by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology, backed by the Shanghai government, will test China’s capability to produce and deploy satellites on a large scale within tight deadlines.
By the end of 2025, the constellation is expected to expand to over 600 satellites, with ambitions to reach more than 14,000 satellites offering global broadband internet by 2030, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.
This number would be “sufficient to provide coverage for most human population centers,” according to Zhu Xiaochen, the project’s deputy director.
China’s entry into broadband mega-constellations comes as the world increasingly looks to satellites for various applications, including communications and military operations.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where Starlink has been crucial for the Ukrainian military, has highlighted the security significance of LEO broadband satellites.
Chinese researchers have repeatedly expressed national security concerns about the SpaceX-operated constellation, with one military scholar in January suggesting that it could support US “ground forces” and enhance strike capabilities in “regional conflicts.”
While the Qianfan launch aligns with China’s broader push to enhance its space capabilities and commercial ventures, it also signals the country’s recognition of the “dual-use … potential of these capabilities from the standpoint of informational superiority or data flow control,” according to Tomas Hrozensky, a senior researcher at the European Space Policy Institute in Vienna.
Experts also believe that once constellations like Qianfan become operational, they could bolster Beijing’s diplomatic leverage. For instance, China could incorporate access to its internet and communication services into agreements with nations involved in its Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure strategy aimed at expanding China’s international influence.
Chinese involvement in global telecommunications has been a contentious issue, with the US government raising concerns about potential security risks associated with using Chinese ground-based infrastructure.
Some experts caution that similar concerns could arise if countries begin relying on Chinese satellites for internet access.
“As China begins deploying G60 and other planned LEO broadband constellations, we’ll see them extend their telecommunications model to space – a model based on surveilling and censoring the flow of information,” said Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
China’s top leaders have emphasized the importance of developing the commercial space sector, including satellites, launch technologies, and tech production, as an economic priority.
The deployment of the 18 satellites this week positions Qianfan ahead of two other planned Chinese communications constellations in LEO.
The Guowang constellation project by the state-owned China Satellite Network Group aims to launch nearly 13,000 satellites, while leading private space firm Landspace’s Honghu-3 plans for 10,000 satellites, according to state-linked media.
The Qianfan project was announced in 2021 as part of a state-supported technology innovation initiative across the Yangtze River delta. SSST, the company behind it, raised $933 million earlier this year, according to Reuters.
Preparing for this launch involved efforts to streamline satellite production, with Qianfan’s chief designer, Cao Caixia, describing the use of “an intelligent satellite manufacturing platform” to accelerate production times to CCTV.
However, challenges lie ahead as SSST and other Chinese companies attempt to scale up their constellations rapidly. China is set to open its first commercial launch pad this year, even as state media reports that about half of the satellites launched last year were commercial.
Various Chinese companies are striving to improve launch capabilities, though they currently lag behind the technology used by SpaceX’s Starlink, which is expected to further increase its launch capacity with the introduction of its Starship vehicle.
“Like any spacefaring nation, China will undoubtedly encounter technical and operational challenges,” said CSIS’s Bingen, noting the need to establish and scale satellite production lines and launch rockets frequently.
“However, space is a national priority for Beijing, with these commercial entities receiving top-down support from the (Chinese Communist Party), large tracts of funding, municipal government support, and regulatory leeway, so I would expect China to continue its rapid progress in space.”
