New facilities in Shanghai have constructed the first satellite for a second planned Chinese low Earth orbit communications megaconstellation.
Chinese press reports state that on Tuesday, December 27, a new generation flat-panel satellite was taken off the assembly line at the G60 digital satellite production complex in Shanghai’s Songjiang District.
This is the first satellite for the G60 Starlink megaconstellation of low-Earth orbit communications. Out of the approximately 12,000 G60 Starlink satellites, the first 108 are scheduled to launch in 2024.
Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology and the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites (IAMCAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences founded Shanghai Gesi Aerospace Technology (Genesat), a state-owned enterprise, in 2022 to oversee the facilities.
The Chinese component of the previous KLEO Connect constellation project was called Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. That collaborative venture between Europe and China ended in bitterness and ongoing legal disputes. Recently, Genesat raised money through investment vehicles sponsored by the Shanghai government and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In April, proposals for the G60 Starlink project were submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The documents included the construction of 36 polar orbital planes, each housing 36 satellites, for a total of 1,296 spacecraft. The Ku, Q, and V bands would be used by the satellites to function.
The satellites are characterized as being modularized, extremely reliable, low latency, high throughput, and low cost. The whole system’s goal is to offer broadband access services to people worldwide, much like Starlink from SpaceX and other rival systems.
Shanghai space environment
This year marked the satellite manufacturing center’s official opening. It will have the capacity to produce 300 satellites annually. Additionally, it was claimed to reduce the price of a single satellite by 35%, however no benchmark was given.
The initiative is part of the larger G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor of the Yangtze River Delta. The initiative is also part of the government of Shanghai’s intentions, which were unveiled in October, to develop a commercial space ecosystem in the city by 2025. The initiative’s goal is to support a whole ecosystem that includes infrastructure, launch vehicles, related applications, and satellites.
Among the goals are to increase production capability to produce 600 commercial satellites and 50 commercial rockets per year. This shows additional manufacturing capacity, either current or planned, in addition to the Genesat facilities.
These new facilities contribute to China’s recent growth in small satellite production capabilities. Along with commercial companies like GalaxySpace, new centers have been developed by state-owned businesses under both CASC and CASIC. IAMCAS is involved in this as well. Furthermore, this year has seen the establishment of ASPACE in Hong Kong.
An additional megaconstellation in China
The G60 Starlink is the second megaconstellation for communications in low Earth orbit, after the China Satellite Network Group was founded in 2021 to manage the country’s 13,000 satellite Guowang (SatNet) program.
Nonetheless, during 2023, a number of experimental satellite internet missions have been launched, presumably for Guowang. Which megaconstellation, if any, will be given priority in accordance with Chinese state policy remains unknown.
In the meantime, China has been investigating methods for launching big groups of satellites into orbit, especially with regard to meeting ITU requirements for ensuring the use of related frequencies by launching a large number of satellites into orbit.
Using the Long March 5B rocket with a Yuanzheng-2 upper stage is one possibility. Guowang or other constellations might also be launched with the aid of the disposable Long March 8, which is designed for mass manufacture.
In an effort to reduce a backlog in launch access, China is also constructing additional commercial launch pads on the island of Hainan. In2024, these will begin to function.
worldwide repercussions
Potential for improved global internet connectivity exists with the rise of competing communications megaconstellations, especially in underserved and distant places. There could be many advantages to this breakthrough for both the world’s economy and health.
Topics #China #G60 megaconstellation #space
