The proposals, submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), represent an unprecedented leap in scale and ambition, outnumbering all current satellites in orbit many times over.
The effort follows public criticism from China toward SpaceX for congesting low-Earth orbit with its Starlink satellites. Now, Chinese organizations have responded with filings that would eclipse Starlink’s dominance, sparking new concerns over orbital crowding, spectrum competition, and long-term feasibility.
The filings were submitted in December 2023 by the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation, a new government-backed research and development body established specifically for radio spectrum innovation and commercialization. This single institute was behind over 95 percent of the applications, which include two massive constellations, CTC-1 and CTC-2, each proposing 96,714 satellites. The satellites would occupy 3,660 orbital shells, covering an area far more complex than existing networks.
New Players, National Coordination
Alongside the two CTC proposals, several other major Chinese entities have submitted filings for large constellations of their own. According to Popular Mechanics, the government-backed China Satellite Network Group filed plans to deploy 12,992 satellites. Major telecom providers China Mobile and China Telecom are also participating, along with emerging commercial satellite operators including GalaxySpace, Guodian Gaoke Space Technology, Spacety, and Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology, the latter applying to launch 15,000 satellites.
The initiative is a mix of commercial and state-led strategy. Yang Feng, founder and CEO of Spacety, told China Daily that China’s satellite internet development now involves nationwide coordination. It has evolved from isolated commercial ventures into a government infrastructure effort involving both public and private players. This collective approach marks a shift in how China is positioning itself in the new space economy.
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Competing for Orbit and Spectrum
The implications of such filings go far beyond the numbers. Any satellite network must secure orbital slots and radio frequency bands, resources managed globally by the ITU. The approval process can take anywhere from two to seven years. The volume of China’s requests represents a massive escalation compared to past filings and puts additional strain on a system already managing growing congestion in space.
Currently, there are 10,824 satellites in orbit, with China accounting for just 9.43 percent. In contrast, SpaceX alone is responsible for 75.94 percent of active satellites, according to data. The scale of China’s proposed constellations would not only increase, its share dramatically but also claim a significant portion of the available spectrum and orbital space, potentially limiting the options for other future constellations.
While the filings appear to be plans for real satellite deployments, they could also serve as a strategic attempt to reserve orbital territory rather than an immediate intention to launch. Filing early with the ITU secures priority rights, regardless of whether those constellations are ultimately built. This practice is not new in the satellite industry but raises the stakes when applied at such scale.
Uncertain Execution, Existing Networks
Despite the scope of the proposals, bringing them to reality presents major logistical and technical challenges. From satellite manufacturing to launch capabilities and ground infrastructure, the hurdles are considerable. Executing mega-constellations of this size is a “monumental task” likely to face difficulties at every stage. Approval alone is a lengthy process, and actual deployment would require resources far beyond anything previously attempted.
China is already advancing other satellite internet systems. The Guowang network includes 13,000 satellites, while the Qianfan network is projected to launch 15,000 by 2030. These two constellations are currently being developed and represent a more immediate phase of China’s satellite plans.
Meanwhile, SpaceX continues expanding its Starlink network, having recently been approved by the US Federal Communications Commission to launch 7,500 second-generation satellites by 2031. To manage orbital congestion, SpaceX is lowering the orbits of 4,400 satellites, part of a mitigation strategy to reduce space debris and collision risk.
China’s move signals a clear intent to close the gap with the US in the space domain over the next decade. The filings do not guarantee execution, but they firmly establish China’s ambition to become a dominant actor in low-Earth orbit, through deployment, reservation, or both.
Whether these satellites ever reach orbit or not, the filings themselves mark a turning point in the global contest for space. With more than 200,000 satellites on the table, China has made clear that it does not intend to play catch-up, it intends to lead.