China successfully launched three test satellites for its expanding broadband Internet technologies on December 30th. The satellite was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

These satellites are for the GuoWang national network of 13,000 satellites. However, there is now confirmed news that China is building a second broadband system. The first satellites are now emerging as part of China’s G60 mega-constellation which will be the nation’s second low Earth orbiting system.

An initial 108 G60 satellites are scheduled to be launched early in 2024 out of a planned total of 12,000 and at a launch rate of some 300 craft per year and to provide a global system by 2027.

The craft are being built by Shanghai Gesi Aerospace Technology (Genesat), a state-owned company created in 2022 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Innovation Academy for Microsatellites (IAMCAS) and Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology.

Shanghai Spacecom was involved in Germany-based KLEO Connect proposal. However, this joint-venture collapsed in a series of lawsuits. The arguments separated KLEO from that of Rivada Space Networks

The ITU has authorised plans for 1,296 of these G60 satellites under the ‘Sailspace-1’ code name.

Other posts by Chris Forrester:

1. Virgin Galactic in stock split
2. Thuraya-3 suffers major problem
3. AST SpaceMobile hit by Class Action
4. Optimism under threat at SES
5. Rivada visits Terran Orbital’s manufacturing HQ
6. Avanti wins spectrum debt obligation case
7. SpaceX breaks records for re-use launchers
8. IRIS2 already in trouble?
9. Intelsat contemplates next steps

Categories: Blogs, Inside Satellite, Satellite

Tags: broadband, china, Mega-constellations