China Launches First Satellites, Aims to Rival SpaceX’s Starlink

China has made a significant advancement in its pursuit to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink by launching the first batch of satellites for its ambitious Qianfan constellation. On Tuesday, 18 satellites were successfully deployed into low Earth orbit (LEO) as part of the initial phase of the government-backed project, which ultimately aims to create a network of 14,000 satellites providing global broadband internet coverage from space.

The Qianfan constellation, also known as G60 Starlink, is being hailed by Chinese media as the country’s answer to SpaceX’s Starlink, which currently leads the satellite internet race with over 6,000 satellites in orbit and plans to expand to as many as 42,000. While most internet users rely on terrestrial infrastructure, satellite internet is crucial for remote, underserved, and disaster-stricken areas, as well as emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, areas in which China seeks to lead.

Qianfan is one of three massive satellite projects planned by China, which could result in nearly 40,000 Chinese satellites orbiting the Earth in the coming years. These so-called mega constellations are networks of hundreds or thousands of satellites in LEO, defined as up to 1,200 miles above Earth.

This launch marks a key moment in China’s rapidly expanding commercial space sector, which is part of Beijing’s broader strategy to establish itself as a dominant space power. China has already made significant strides in its national space program, with plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, alongside the deployment of military-linked satellites for navigation, communication, and surveillance.

Experts suggest that controlling LEO broadband satellite constellations could offer China significant advantages, enabling its companies to provide services both domestically and internationally, while also enhancing Beijing’s diplomatic influence, data control, and national security.

The Qianfan project, managed by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), is expected to grow to over 600 satellites by the end of 2025, with the goal of reaching more than 14,000 satellites by 2030 to provide global broadband coverage. According to Zhu Xiaochen, deputy director of the project, this would be sufficient to cover most of the world’s population centers.