According to the plan, the Honghu-3 satellite network will consist of a total of 10,000 satellites operating across 160 orbital planes.
Lanjian Hongqing Shanghai Technology Company, in collaboration with commercial rocket manufacturer Landspace, submitted information about the plan to establish a new satellite network to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as reported by Space News on May 27. The network, named Honghu-3, will comprise a total of 10,000 satellites operating across 160 orbital planes.
The Zhuque-2 rocket from Landspace launched from the Zhuhai spaceport on December 8, 2023. (Photo: Landspace).
The submission of information aims to notify the ITU and its member countries about the plans to launch a satellite network or system into space. Following this, they can assess the new satellite network to determine if it poses any risk of interfering with existing or planned satellite systems.
Honghu is the third mega-network with over 10,000 satellites planned in China. The two previous mega-networks, Guowang and G60 Starlink, have both been approved by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The first batches of satellites from these two mega-networks are expected to be launched in the coming months.
Honghu may further raise concerns about congestion, collision risks, and debris in low Earth orbit. Currently, SpaceX’s Starlink is the largest satellite network with over 5,000 operational satellites and plans to deploy up to 42,000 satellites.
Hongqing Technology, established in 2017 and based in Shanghai, is known for developing Hall thruster technology. The company is building a satellite manufacturing facility in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, near Shanghai. The Hall thruster using Hongqing Technology’s Jinwu-200 krypton fuel was tested on the Honghu-2 satellite, which was launched into space by Landspace’s Zhuque-2 rocket last December.
Meanwhile, Landspace is developing a methane-liquid oxygen rocket made of stainless steel and designed for reuse, named Zhuque-3. This 4.5-meter diameter rocket will be capable of carrying 21,000 kg of cargo into low Earth orbit. The vehicle is expected to make its first launch in 2025.
China is constructing a commercial spaceport near Wenchang to address the shortage of launch pads. This is crucial for helping China accelerate its launch rate and quickly establish mega-satellite networks.
