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China this week took a major step in its bid to create a rival to SpaceX's Starlink by launching the first of an expected 14,000 satellites that will provide broadband internet coverage from space.
Eighteen satellites were launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) on Tuesday in the first launch of the government-backed Qianfan system (Spacesail), state media reported.
The constellation - hailed in domestic media as China's answer to US-based SpaceX's Starlink - aims to join a handful of planned or operational large-scale space projects from providers in several countries offering broadband satellite internet services.
Leading that pack is Starlink, which has more than 6,000 satellites in orbit and ambitions to expand to as many as 42,000. It is widely expected to remain the dominant player in the coming years, given its lead and advanced launch capabilities.
While most people who have access to the internet do so via cables and other ground-based infrastructure, satellite internet connectivity has become a vital service for rural, resource-poor and disaster-stricken areas. It is also seen as key to expanding technologies such as self-driving cars and other internet-enabled devices - industries that China wants to lead.
Qianfan, also known as G60 Starlink, is one of three planned Chinese mega-constellations that could enable the country's companies to launch nearly 40,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit (defined as no higher than 1,200 miles above the planet) in the coming years. So-called mega-constellations refer to networks of hundreds or thousands of satellites orbiting Earth.
The launch comes as China ramps up its commercial space sector as part of Beijing's broader push to cement its position as the dominant power in space. The country has already made huge strides in its ambitious national space program, which aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030 while also launching military satellites for navigation, communications and surveillance.
Control over LEO broadband satellite constellations could be a boon for China, experts say, allowing Chinese companies to offer their services domestically and globally while bolstering Beijing's diplomatic influence, control over data flows and national security.
The deployment of Qianfan, which is run by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), a Shanghai government-backed satellite technology company, will also be a test of China's ability to manufacture and launch satellites on a large scale and within a tight schedule.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the constellation will grow to more than 600 satellites by the end of 2025, with plans to have more than 14,000 satellites worldwide capable of providing broadband internet by 2030.
That number would be "enough to cover most population centers," Zhu Xiaochen, deputy director of the project, told CCTV.
'Informational superiority'
China's move into mega-broadband networks comes as governments and companies around the world are increasingly interested in satellites for everything from communications to military operations.
The war in Ukraine, where access to Starlink was a key tool for the Ukrainian military, has also brought LEO broadband satellites into the spotlight for the security risks they pose.
Chinese researchers have raised national security concerns about the SpaceX-run constellation on several occasions - including a military scientist who said in January that it had the potential to support U.S. "ground forces" and strike capabilities in "regional conflicts."
While Qianfan's launch is part of Beijing's broader push to boost space capabilities and commercial applications, it also shows that China "recognizes the potential for dual use of these capabilities from the perspective of information superiority or control over the flow of data," said Tomas Hrozensky, a senior researcher at the nonprofit think tank European Space Policy Institute in Vienna.
Constellations like Qianfan, once operational, could also yield diplomatic benefits for Beijing, experts say. For example, China could offer access to its internet and communications services as part of deals with governments within its Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure plan widely seen as a means for China to expand its influence abroad.
The role of Chinese companies in global telecommunications has been a point of contention in recent years, with the U.S. government raising alarms about perceived security risks to countries using Chinese infrastructure and equipment on the ground.
Some experts warn of similar concerns as countries go online via Chinese satellites.
"As China begins deploying the G60 and other planned LEO broadband constellations, we will see them extend their telecommunications model into space - a model based on monitoring and censoring the flow of information," said Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.
'A national priority'
The launch of the Qianfan constellation comes after top Chinese leaders indicated that developing the commercial space sector - including satellites, launch capabilities and technology production - is an economic priority.
The 18 satellites launched into orbit this week appear to put Qianfan ahead of two other planned Chinese communications constellations in LEO. State-owned China Satellite Network Group's Guowang constellation project targets nearly 13,000 satellites, while leading private space company Landspace's Honghu-3 has plans for 10,000, according to information released by state media.
Plans for the Qianfan project were announced in 2021 as part of a state-backed technology innovation program in China's prosperous Yangtze River Delta. The operating company, Shanghai government-backed SSST, raised $933 million earlier this year, Reuters reported in February, citing an investor.
In preparation for the launch, efforts have been made to streamline satellite production, using what Qianfan's chief designer Cao Caixia recently described to state broadcaster CCTV as "an intelligent satellite production platform" to speed up production time.
There are likely to be obstacles as SSST and other Chinese companies seek to rapidly scale up their constellations. China is opening its first commercial launch pad this year, while state media say about half of the satellites launched last year were commercial satellites.
A number of Chinese companies are working on improving launch capabilities, but they are still far behind the technology that supports SpaceX's Starlink. Starlink is expected to further expand its launch capabilities once the Starship vehicle enters service.
"Like any space-faring nation, China will undoubtedly face technical and operational challenges," CSIS's Bingen said, noting the need to establish and scale up satellite production lines and launch rockets on a frequent basis.
"But space is a national priority for Beijing, with these commercial entities receiving top-down support from the (Chinese Communist Party), large funding streams, municipal government support and regulatory freedom, so I expect China to continue its rapid progress in space."
CNN's Joyce Jiang contributed to this report.
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