China wants to have a constellation of satellites capable of competing with SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. According to our colleagues at Ars Technica, on Monday, the first 10 satellites of the future “megaconstellation” were launched by the Long March 5B rocket. The media explains that this project has been known for years, but China has always been discreet.
However, we know that the goal is to have a constellation capable of providing a low latency internet connection, like Starlink. And the goal would be to create a constellation of 12,992 satellites. The first 10 Guowang satellites were placed in an orbit approximately 1,100 kilometers above the Earth.
Note also that this is not the only Chinese constellation project. As we mentioned in a previous article, the Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Company also plans to deploy a constellation. And this year, it was able to launch 18 satellites.
Europe is moving forward on the issue
Having a constellation in space provides an advantage to world powers and, moreover, the European Union is also making progress on this issue. This week, the European Commission kicked off a €10.6 billion project, including €6.5 billion in public funding, which aims to create a constellation called IRIS². This should provide secure connectivity for EU governments, businesses and citizens of the European Union. The first launch is planned for 2029, according to the European Space Agency.
“By offering advanced connectivity services to government users and filling connectivity gaps across the Union, IRIS² strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy and technological leadership”we read in a press release from the European Commission.
- China launches the first 10 satellites of its Guowang constellation
- This will be made up of 12,992 satellites, to compete with Starlink
- The Middle Kingdom has another constellation project, which has already launched its first satellites
- Meanwhile, the European Union is moving forward on the IRIS² project
- This is a 10.6 billion euro constellation project, including 6.5 billion euros of public funding, which aims to reduce the EU’s dependence on American technologies.
