Roll-out of Guo Wang constellation appears to have been fast-tracked, but other systems, including Shanghai’s Qianfan, may be missing out
As China scrambles to build massive internet networks in space to rival Starlink, a growing divide is quietly emerging on the ground between national priorities and local ambition.
Often known as Beijing’s answer to SpaceX’s Starlink, Guo Wang has launched three batches of satellites in the past week alone – a sharp jump from its earlier pace of about one batch every two months.
China’s Tianzhou-9 cargo craft launches for Tiangong space station resupply mission
The launches, which bring the total number of Guo Wang satellites in orbit to 57, used three different Long March rockets, signalling a national push to ensure the project received all the launch capacity it needed to stay on track.
