The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is preparing to deploy the first satellites to form its own megaconstellation that will beam broadband to Earth. As per SpaceNews, the move is an effort to compete with SpaceX's Starlink, creating worries about its use in military operations.
The Chinese space program previously revealed that it intends to modify the upper stage of its Long March 5B rocket, which it will use to deploy thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
This photo taken on April 23, 2021, shows the Long March 5B rocket, which is expected to launch China's Tianhe space station core module on April 29 at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern China's Hainan province.
China's Megaconstellation Revolution
SpaceNews reported last February that China has designated "satellite internet" as a national infrastructure project and established the state-owned China Satellite Network Group to oversee its constellation project, Guowang.
The project will manufacture and launch satellites for an LEO communications constellation providing internet connectivity worldwide. China's commercial space industry will play a significant role in the project, both in manufacturing and launching satellites.
The Guowang project will supersede two earlier, smaller LEO communication constellations, Hongyan and Hongyun, previously created by China's main space contractor, CASC, and its sister defense giant, CASIC. There will not be any room for similar plans proposed by Chinese commercial space companies.
China's emerging commercial space firms will have a considerable chance to participate in the project, from the manufacturing and launching of the satellites to potentially receiving revenue from the Guowang national satellite internet project.
Private launch service providers have started mentioning Guowang as a potential source of revenue, suggesting they'll help add launch capacity beyond that of CASC to build the constellation.
The megaconstellation of satellites is part of China's infrastructure project that aims to replace previous LEO communication constellations in China, and the country's emerging space companies will have a chance to receive early revenue as part of the project while also aiding national plans.
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China's 13,000 Satellites in LEO
As per Futurism, a modified rocket is in the works and scheduled to launch in the second half of this year. Its goal is to send 13,000 satellites that could provide China with an alternative to its Western competitors, such as SpaceX, OneWeb, and Amazon.
The Asian country has reportedly been increasing the production of its small satellites and is expected to produce hundreds of them in just one year.
Liu Bing from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology told Chinese state news last year that the Long March 5B series will be transferred to the high-density launch in the next few years to meet China's requirements for large-scale and rapid access to space.
The South China Morning reported last month that China is speeding up efforts to deploy its megaconstellation of satellites in LEO before completing SpaceX's Starlink. Doing so would ensure China's place in LEO and prevent its Western counterpart from excessively pre-empting low-orbit resources.
If China succeeded, it would open its commercial space industry and give the country a significant head start or even a militaristic advantage. It did not sit well with the country because SpaceX used its Starlink satellites to help Ukraine's military.
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