China has sent its 21st group of internet satellites into space to form part of the “Guovang” Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation.
“Elchi” reports that, according to the Xinhua news agency, 5 satellites that will form part of the internet satellite constellation were launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province via a Long March-6 rocket.
The launch, during which the satellites reached their planned positions in Low Earth Orbit and Polar Orbit, marked the 637th successful transport mission carried out by Long March rockets.
The first group of “Hualienvang” (internet) satellites, which will form part of the “Guovang” (national network) satellite constellation, was launched on December 16, 2024, with 16 groups launched in 2025 and 3 groups this year.
“Guovang”
The name Guovang, which means “national network” in Chinese, first emerged when China applied to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2020 to build a large satellite network.
The project, which aims to create a global satellite internet network to compete with the Starlink satellite network of the US company SpaceX, is being implemented by the China Satellite Network Group Corporation (China SatNet), established under the State Council, the country’s cabinet, in 2021.
The project, for which the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) is the main contractor, plans to place 13,000 satellites into Low Earth Orbit.
According to ITU regulations, satellite network operators are required to exceed certain satellite deployment thresholds within specific timeframes to obtain frequency rights.
The Guovang project aims to launch 1,300 satellites, representing 10% of the network, by the end of 2029, and 6,500 satellites, representing 50% of the network, by 2035.
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