China Plans Second Mega Satellite, G60 Starlink, with 12,000 Satellites to Compete with SpaceX’s Program.
12,000 Satellites to Be Launched into Orbit
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that China is accelerating the development of its second mega satellite to provide broadband internet services in competition with SpaceX’s Starlink.
G60 Starlink, supported by the Shanghai municipal government, will consist of over 12,000 satellites in low Earth orbit.
This commitment reflects the scale of the National Network (also known as Guo Wang)—a separate satellite constellation project of China, often dubbed the country’s “response” to Starlink. The project is currently being carried out by Guo Wang Company.
According to Eurasian, G60 Starlink will initially focus on developing an internet satellite cluster rather than planning a mega constellation.
A satellite cluster is a system of multiple satellites working together in a defined space to perform various missions. A newly established satellite manufacturing facility for the project is capable of producing 300 satellites per year.
Illustration of satellite coverage for telecommunications services. (Photo: ESA).
Project Being Rushed
According to SCMP, the official website of Songjiang District in Shanghai reported that last month, a delegation led by Cheng Xiangmin, the district secretary, visited a new production center in western Shanghai dedicated to mass production of G60 satellites.
The website also stated that the delegation met with representatives from the project’s industrial partners, including Shanghai Alliance Investment and Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology, to discuss the progress of the project.
A representative from Shanghai Alliance Investment stated: “We are particularly focused on the goals and construction progress of the G60 Starlink project and have been working hard to implement investments and promote technology transfers in this field.”
The website noted that all parties agreed to collaborate to address key issues and expedite the project’s timeline.
In July, Cheng announced at a press conference that experimental satellites had been launched and connected in space, with nearly 1,300 satellites planned for launch in the project’s initial phase.
This project is part of the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor initiative proposed by the Songjiang government in 2016, aimed at deploying innovative technology businesses and advanced manufacturing sectors along the G60 highway, which connects Shanghai and Kunming over a distance of more than 2,360 km.
Technical details and progress of the project have not been disclosed. It remains unclear how China plans to deploy such a large number of satellites into orbit in a cost-effective manner, given its lack of powerful, reusable rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
G60 Starlink will consist of over 12,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. (Photo: NASA).
SpaceX’s Dominance
According to observers, SpaceX’s dominance in the space-based internet services sector relies on its status as the only company in the world capable of launching satellites reliably and consistently at a large scale to build a mega constellation in low Earth orbit.
Since 2018, SpaceX has conducted 109 satellite launches, placing over 4,800 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX’s satellites account for more than 50% of all operational satellites. Billionaire Elon Musk plans to have up to 42,000 satellites in orbit in the coming years.
Starlink’s competitors include OneWeb, the second-largest satellite internet service provider in the world with over 600 satellites in orbit, and Project Kuiper by Blue Origin, as well as the IRIS² constellation from the European Union.
The growing influence of SpaceX’s Starlink has raised concerns in China that the company could exploit Starlink for surveillance purposes and potentially disrupt China’s space initiatives. Currently, there is no evidence that Starlink satellites carry spying equipment.
Earlier this year, Chinese scientists suggested that their country’s satellites might reach orbits that SpaceX’s Starlink has not yet accessed. In this way, Beijing could seize strategic opportunities and advantages at different orbital altitudes.
