China Launches Its First Medium Earth Orbit Broadband Satellites

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China raises stakes in SpaceX internet rivalry, claims higher orbit for first SkyNet satellite | South China Morning...

The satellite, known as Zhihui Tianwang-1 01 or Smart SkyNet-1 01, left the Xichang satellite launch centre in southwestern China at 9.43am Beijing time atop a Long March 3B rocket.

According to CASC, the satellite will be joined by seven more satellites in an initial formation of the SkyNet constellation, with the potential for expansion to 16 or 32 satellites.

The satellite constellation bears the same name as China's video surveillance network of public spaces – the largest of its kind on Earth, with more than 20 million cameras. There is no known connection between the two, and according to reports in state media the satellite does not carry surveillance equipment.

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SkyNet: China deploys first satellite to counter Elon Musk's Starlink

SkyNet's satellites will be in medium Earth orbit, cooperating with China's existing low orbit satellites.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has made its first move to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink and offer satellite-based internet services globally.

The South China Morning Post reported that CASC's first satellite, Zhihui Tianwang-1 01 or Smart SkyNet-1 01, was launched onboard a Long March 3B rocket on Thursday at 9:43 am Beijing time.

Musk's space company, SpaceX, has enjoyed runaway success in providing internet services from space, largely due to a lack of competition. The Amazon-backed Kuiper project has only launched two prototype satellites so far.

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HELSINKI — China launched the first satellites for a medium Earth orbit broadband constellation late Wednesday.

A Long March 3B lifted off at 9:43 p.m. Eastern May 8 (0143 UTC May 9) from the inland Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed launch success, revealing the mission payloads for the first time to be the Smart Skynet-1 (01) satellites A and B.

The satellites were developed by CASC's Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) for Shanghai Tsingshen Technology Development Co. Ltd. Tsingshen Tech was founded in 2018. It is collaborating with Tsinghua University and the Shanghai government to create a medium Earth orbit (MEO) broadband satellite constellation.

Tsingshen Tech plans initially to put eight satellites into 20,000-kilometer MEO orbits to form a global communications constellation. The nearest approximation to the constellation is O3B's MEO constellation .

This can be expanded to 16 satellites, consisting of two groups, and four groups totaling 32 satellites. The company claims, after completion, the constellation will provide personalized network services with no blind spots globally.

SAST states that Smart SkyNet could be joined up with China's low Earth orbit communications megaconstellations, as well as comms satellites in geostationary orbit. This would provide access to all types of users in all scenarios and all domains.

Smart SkyNet is being promoted under the " Shanghai Action Plan to Promote Commercial Aerospace Development and Create a Space Information Industry Highland (2023-2025)." The move is one of a number of municipal and provincial level initiatives in China to boost commercial space activities and foster growth and innovation. Various action plans cover satellites, launch vehicles and related applications and infrastructure.

The city is also backing a broadband megaconstellation project known as " G60 Starlink ," centered in Shanghai's Songjiang District. The project plans to launch the first 108 satellites this year and have more than 12,000 in orbit when completed.