China Wants 200,000 Satellites: A Direct Challenge to Starlink in the Space Race

China has taken a bold step into the global satellite race, directly positioning itself against companies like SpaceX and its Starlink network. According to Shanghai Securities News, the Chinese government submitted a request to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) late last year, seeking radio frequencies and orbital slots for more than 200,000 satellites. If realized in full, this would become the largest satellite network ever conceived. Although the request doesn’t guarantee all satellites will launch, space industry experts say one thing is clear: China is making satellite internet a national strategic priority.

New Innovation Institute Driving the Ambition At the heart of this megaproject is the newly established Radio Innovation Institute, launched on December 30, 2025, in the Xiong’an New Area. This government-backed initiative aims to optimize frequency use and accelerate China’s satellite internet industry. The institute brings together seven founding institutions:

🔹 State Radio Monitoring Center

🔹 China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. – the country’s main satellite internet operator

🔹 Xiong’an Administrative Committee and Hebei’s Department of Industry and IT

🔹 Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

🔹 Beijing Jiaotong University

🔹 China Electronics Technology Group Corporation This “national team” model blends public, academic, and industrial expertise to build the future of space-based Chinese internet infrastructure.

Over a Dozen Satellite Constellations in the Works The submitted applications cover more than a dozen different satellite groups. Some will consist of just a few dozen satellites, but others are massive. The two largest networks — CTC-1 and CTC-2 — each include 96,714 satellites. Both filings came from the Radio Innovation Institute. Other companies are contributing too:

🔹 China Mobile submitted plans for 2,520 satellites under the name CHINAMOBILE-L1

🔹 Yuanxin Satellite proposed 1,296 satellites for its SAILSPACE-1 system

🔹 Guodian Gaoke plans 1,132 satellites for its TIANQI-3G constellation This mix of government-backed and commercial entities shows that China is embracing a hybrid public-private model for satellite development.

A Filing Isn’t a Launch: The Real Work Lies Ahead Experts caution that filing with the ITU is just the beginning. China still faces significant technical, manufacturing, and financial hurdles. It currently lacks the full capacity — in rockets, production lines, and capital — to execute a project of this magnitude. Still, the Radio Innovation Institute could play a key role in speeding up development. By combining national resources, leveraging China’s massive domestic market and strong industrial base, and coordinating state-level efforts, the institute might help China narrow the gap with SpaceX, which already has thousands of operational Starlink satellites providing global internet.

Can China Really Catch Up to Starlink? The big question: Can China turn this vision into reality? Success will depend on multiple factors, including:

🔹 Long-term state funding

🔹 Engineering breakthroughs in satellite manufacturing and deployment

🔹 Effective cooperation with other nations through the ITU to resolve frequency and orbital slot conflicts The space-based internet race is now fully underway. And with this filing for 200,000 satellites, China has made it clear: it wants to become a dominant player in the future of global connectivity. Only time will tell whether this ambition becomes reality — or whether Western competitors will continue to lead the charge.

#china , #starlink , #technews , #SpaceX , #worldnews

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