A Chinese state-owned company launched today the first batch of satellites from a "mega-constellation" that should become a competitor to the "Starlink" network. (Starlink) of the American "SpaceX" (Space X), reported Reuters, referring to a Chinese official, writes BTA.
The launch is an important step towards Beijing's strategic goal of creating its own version of Starlink, which already covers almost the entire world with some 5,500 satellites in space and whose services are used by consumers, companies and government agencies.
The competition for control of low Earth orbit also has military implications given the potential to affect the balance of power between warring countries.
The launch under the auspices of "Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology" (Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology - SSST) was held at the space site in Taiyuan, northern Shaanxi Province, reported in the "China Securities Journal". It is part of the "Constellation of a Thousand Sails" plan. of the Chinese company, which began last year and aims to put more than 15,000 low-orbit satellites into orbit. Such satellites usually operate at an altitude of 300 to 2,000 km above the Earth's surface, and their advantage is that they are cheaper and provide more efficient data transmission than satellites in high orbit.
"Starlink" of American billionaire Elon Musk has tens of thousands of users in the US and plans to expand its system with tens of thousands more satellites.
Chinese military scientists have been studying the use of "Starlink" in the war in Ukraine and have repeatedly warned about the risks the system poses to China if the country finds itself in a military conflict with the US.
The project "Constellation of a thousand sails" is one of three for such satellite constellations with which China hopes to catch up with "SpaceX". It envisions launching 108 satellites this year, 648 by the end of 2025, providing "worldwide network coverage" by 2027 and up to 15,000 satellites in orbit by 2030.
The Chinese company has not yet responded to requests for comment.