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The Clash of Constellations
Article

The Clash of Constellations

With a flood of private sector companies entering the ring, China hopes to finally catch up to the U.S.’s Starlink.

Rachel Cheung
The Wire China, 2024
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Recommendation

America leads the space race in low Earth orbit technology, but China is revising its game plan to compete in this realm. China faces many obstacles, including costs, in its quest to become a viable competitor in satellites, yet state-owned enterprises will enjoy a first-mover advantage. In this enlightening report, journalist Rachel Cheung recounts China’s progress in building and running a massive low Earth orbit constellation, along with its implications for the rest of the world.

Summary

The United States has a commanding lead over China in low Earth orbit technology.

The United States substantially outpaces China in the development and deployment of low Earth orbit satellites, as Starlink’s more than 6,000-strong network of satellites attests. Starlink offers rapid internet access to 2.5 million-plus customers in more than 70 countries. Its network of satellites plays a significant role in nations’ national security and strategy. Ukraine’s military, for example, relies on Starlink in its conflict with Russia. Starlink aims to launch another 36,000 satellites over time.

China is a newcomer to this technological infrastructure; only since 2020 has China made the development of low Earth orbit satellites a priority. To achieve a competitive advantage, the...

About the Author

Rachel Cheung is a staff writer for The Wire China, based in Hong Kong.

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