China Launches Rival Satellite to Musk's Starlink
On Tuesday, China successfully launched its first batch of internet satellites, signaling the beginning of its major project, Thousand Sails, showcasing their satellite Chinese capabilities.
This ambitious initiative aims to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink by creating a low-Earth orbit constellation of over 15,000 satellites to provide global internet coverage.
A Long March 6A carrier rocket launched from the Taiyuan center in Shanxi Province, delivering the initial 18 satellites into space. The Chinese Academy of Sciences hailed the mission as a complete success. By 2025, China plans to deploy 648 satellites in the first phase, aiming to establish a comprehensive internet network that spans the globe, according to state media outlet CCTV.
Competition Between Global Giants
China’s new constellation is just one of several LEO sets of satellites, which orbit the earth at altitudes that range from 700 to 3,000 km. They will top up the billionaires’ projects, such as Elon Musk’s Starlink and OneWeb, owned by the European firm Eutelsat. Such companies were already quite famous with their satellite internet networks, so the entrance of China into this sphere underlined serious intentions on space technologies.
The launch highlights China’s huge ambitions in space and challenging US dominance in this sector under a fast-intensifying technological rivalry between the two. The strides that China is making in technology in space are very fast, and this launch is evidence that it is really upping the ante for a serious player in the global space industry.
Satellite Chinese Milestones
The recent launch was not the first large space-related effort taken by satellite of Chinese capabilities. In 2020, it will be finished a project for the BeiDou network, a global navigation system to rival the US GPS system. With applications already very far in the world, the BeiDou network has been used to prove the ability of China in designing and launching large-scale space projects.
Significantly, China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe made a successful return to the world with the first samples from the moon’s far side, for so long remaining unexplored. This was another great leap forward into space taken by the Chinese satellite and conclusive evidence of the capability of carrying out very complex space missions.
Ahead of this, Beijing announced plans to send its first crewed mission to Mars by 2033 as part of broader efforts to increase China’s footprint in space and plant its technological flag on the world stage.
Aggressive pushes to space technology culminate in the launch of its Internet Satellite Constellation, sealing Beijing’s resolve to be a major player in the global space race.
Broader Impact on Geopolitical Technologies
Aggressive pushes into space technology, marked by the launch of its internet satellite Chinese constellation, signal Beijing’s resolve to become a major player in the global space race. It is not just about technological advancement anymore. Now, this push mirrors more broadly that competition between states on Earth and in outer space over the Internet.
These are developments that could have enormous implications for global internet infrastructure and space governance, as the China-U.S. technology battle widens. Hitting the satellite internet market has provided increased competition due to the entry of the satellite Chinese, which may be just what was needed to spur innovation, cut costs, and increase access to the internet globally. It will, however, have big implications on the power balance in space and for possible increases in competition and cooperation within this critical domain.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Tech sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.