{"id":426399,"date":"2026-01-20T22:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T22:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/426399\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T22:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T22:38:12","slug":"new-chinese-constellations-dwarf-starlink-plans-for-near-earth-orbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/426399\/","title":{"rendered":"New Chinese Constellations Dwarf Starlink Plans for Near-Earth Orbit"},"content":{"rendered":"

China has filed requests to reserve orbital slots for almost 200,000 satellites, prompting concerns it may be positioning itself to control large swathes of near-Earth space, according to the Daily Mail<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The applications, submitted on December 29 by the newly formed Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation, outline two constellations\u2014CTC-1 and CTC-2\u2014each with 96,714 satellites spread across thousands of orbits. If built, the system would dwarf SpaceX\u2019s Starlink plans and could restrict access for rival operators.<\/p>\n

Officials have offered little detail about the satellites\u2019 role, fuelling speculation about military or security uses. According to China in Space, Nanjing University of Aeronautics says the network would support \u201cLow-altitude electromagnetic space security, integrated security defence systems, electromagnetic space security assessment of airspace, and low-altitude airspace safety supervision services.\u201d Analysts say this closely resembles SpaceX\u2019s military-focused Starshield system.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Daily Mail writes<\/a> that the filings were made with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which allocates orbital spectrum. Once registered, other companies must prove their satellites will not interfere. While the spacecraft could have civilian uses, the move comes amid intensifying US-China competition in space.<\/p>\n

Satellites now underpin modern warfare, forming part of the so-called \u201ckill mesh.\u201d The war in Ukraine has shown how vital satellite communications and jamming capabilities can be, and US officials have raised alarms about unusual manoeuvres by some Chinese satellites in geostationary orbit. One senior officer warned they are \u201csliding\u201d across the GEO belt, behavior seen as inconsistent with normal communications missions.<\/p>\n

China openly treats space as a strategic domain. President Xi Jinping has called it an \u201cimportant strategic asset for the country that must be well managed and utilized and, more importantly, protected.\u201d China\u2019s satellite count has risen from about 40 in 2010 to roughly 1,000 today.<\/p>\n

Despite the scale of the proposal, many experts doubt it will be realised. China would need to launch around 500 satellites every week for seven years\u2014far beyond its current manufacturing and launch capacity. This has led analysts to suspect the move is an orbital \u201cland grab,\u201d reserving space for future use rather than signalling an imminent build-out.<\/p>\n

As Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation put it, \u201cIt is possible they\u2019re just trying to create some space for later on.\u201d Even Chinese industry figures have played down the feasibility, with Spacety executive Yang Feng warning that \u201cLeading in terms of filing applications does not mean surpassing in final execution,\u201d citing major technical and capacity hurdles.<\/p>\n

The move is notable given China\u2019s recent criticism of SpaceX at the UN, where it argued that the unchecked spread of commercial satellite constellations \u201chas given rise to pronounced safety and security challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Zerohedge<\/p>\n

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com<\/p>\n

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