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China’s state-owned Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology Co. has launched the first batch of satellites in a space program that will rival SpaceX’s Starlink global internet network, a major step toward Beijing’s strategic goal of competing with other countries for dominance in the space sector.
According to official local newspapers, the launch took place on Monday morning from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province, one of China's major rocket launch centers.
The satellites were launched on a Long March 6A rocket (from the Long March family) developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. This version is powered by two engines in the first stage instead of one engine in the previous version, and the rocket is supported by four solid rocket boosters, making it the first Chinese rocket with solid rocket boosters.
China takes off
The first phase of this launch included 18 satellites, as part of a plan called “Planet of a Thousand Sails” that aims to deploy more than 15,000 satellites.
This constellation of satellites will operate in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of between 300 and 2,000 kilometers, providing near-complete Internet coverage around the world. This move does not only reflect on China’s commercial and economic dimensions, but it also has a major military impact that could significantly change the balance of power in global conflict zones.
This comes in the context of China's fear of a potential threat from Starlink satellites – if a military conflict with the United States occurs – as they can track hypersonic missiles, after Chinese researchers tracked the spread of a system of satellites over Ukrainian territory during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Plans included hitting the satellites with lasers from Chinese naval submarines, but the Beijing government has opted for its own satellite system, starting this year by sending 108 satellites.
By the end of 2025, this number will rise to 648 satellites, reaching about 15,000 satellites in 2030 to enter service directly.
On the other hand, the Starlink project is one of the most successful projects dominating the global satellite network market, and there are about 5,500 satellites currently operating, providing internet service to a large segment of consumers around the world from private and government companies.
It is noteworthy that American businessman Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, had previously given the green light to Ukrainian forces to use his company's satellites, which helped direct drones against Russian forces on several occasions and inflicted many losses on them.
