China builds orbital Starlink rival
August 7, 2024
A Chinese state-owned enterprise has launched the first batch of satellites for a mega-constellation designed to rival
US company Space X’s Starlink’s near-global internet network.
The launch, led by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), took place at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, one of China’s main satellite and missile launch centres, located in the northern province of Shanxi, the China Securities Journal reported.
The launch is part of SSST’s Thousand Sails Constellation plan, also known as the G60 Starlink Plan, which began in 2023 and aims to deploy more than 15,000 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
SSST’s Thousand Sails constellation is one of three different “ten-thousand star constellation” plans China is hoping will allow it to close the gap with SpaceX.
SSST’s plan is to launch 108 satellites this year, 648 satellites by the end of 2025, provide a “global network coverage” by 2027, and get to 15,000 satellites deployed before 2030.
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