China Successfully launched the first satellite of its new space program Smart Skynet aimed at creating a global broadband Internet network, capable of competing with the Starlink project by Elon Musk. The launch of the Zhihui Tianwang-1 01 satellite occurred from the XICHANG cosmodrome on the Long March 3b rocket.
Developed by the Chinese corporation of aerospace science and technology (CASC), the satellite will test high-speed and convenient communication technology at a height of 20,000 km above the ground in a medium-ground orbit, similar to global navigation systems like GPS and the Chinese system Beidou.
According to CASC, the initial phase will see 7 more satellites joining the primary Skynet constellation, with the potential for expansion to up to 16 or 32 satellites. In comparison, Starlink currently uses 6,000 satellites to provide Internet services from space at speeds of up to 220 Mbps. CASC plans to rapidly expand its infrastructure to achieve speeds of 500 Gb/s by 2025.
The Smart Skynet project can be integrated with other Chinese satellite groups in low orbits like Guowang (13,000 satellites) and G60 Starlink (more than 12,000 satellites), as well as geostationary orbits. This integrated space network is expected to provide Internet access for all users in any conditions.
Upon completion of all launches, the Smart Skynet constellation will be able to provide personalized broadband Internet coverage without “blind zones” around the world. The satellite is equipped with high-speed microwave technology, bilateral laser connections between satellites, and a digital data processing and transfer platform.
The Smart Skynet-1 01 satellite will test key technologies including space-based laser communication and on-demand Internet access for users ranging from scientific stations in the Antarctic to vessels in the western part of the Indian Ocean.
The concept of placing a broadband constellation in medium orbit was put forward by a team at Tsinghua University, which signed a cooperation agreement with the city of Shanghai in 2018 for the project’s implementation. Various institutions including CASC, Chinese Electronic Technologies Corporation, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences were involved in the development of Smart Skynet-1 01.
Plans to compete with Starlink in China were revealed in February last year, when Chinese researchers announced their intention to build a network of constellations consisting of 12,992