📍New Delhi | 20 Jan, 2026, 6:00 AM
China LEO satellite constellations: With ambitious projects like Guowang and G60 Starlink, China’s rapid expansion into LEO satellite constellations is a clear indication of China positioning itself as a major player in satellite-based communications and Earth observation. For India, a neighbouring country with its own space ambitions and complex geopolitical relationship with China, these developments carry grave implications across almost all domains.
China’s LEO Constellation Programs
China currently has several mega-constellation projects in active deployment that collectively aim to deploy approximately 38,000-40,000 satellites. As of late 2025, around 300+ satellites have been successfully deployed across all active constellations.
Guowang and G60 Starlink: Beijing’s Answer to Starlink
As of December 2025, China is steadily expanding its low-Earth-orbit satellite ecosystem through multiple large-scale constellations led by state-owned and private players. The most ambitious of these is the Guowang project, which plans to deploy 12,992 satellites. So far, 136 satellites have been launched. The programme is being executed by China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd., and is widely viewed as Beijing’s flagship answer to global mega-constellations such as Starlink, with strong strategic and national-level backing.
Similarly, Qianfan constellation, also known as “Thousand Sails” or G60 Starlink, led by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies. This project aims to place 15,000 satellites in orbit, making it one of the largest planned constellations in the world. By December 2025, 108 satellites have already been launched. Qianfan is positioned as a commercially driven but state-supported network, with a strong focus on broadband connectivity and industrial applications.
Another major proposal is Honghu-3, which envisions a massive constellation of 10,000 satellites. However, this project is still at an early stage. Only test satellites have been launched so far, indicating that Honghu-3 remains largely in the validation and technology-demonstration phase. The programme is being developed by Hongqing Technology, and its full deployment timeline has yet to be clearly defined.
Commercial Players, Strategic Backing: Geespace, Galaxy Space and Beyond
In the commercial and mobility-oriented segment, Geespace, a company under Geely Future Mobility, plans a constellation of around 6,000 satellites. Approximately 72 satellites have been launched to date. Unlike broadband-heavy systems, Geespace is primarily focused on Internet of Things (IoT) services, high-precision positioning, and support for autonomous driving, aligning closely with China’s smart mobility and connected-vehicle ambitions.
China also had earlier satellite initiatives known as Hongyan and Hongyun, which together planned 320 and 156 satellites respectively. These are now considered legacy projects, as they have been merged into the larger Guowang programme. The consolidation reflects China’s strategy to streamline overlapping efforts and concentrate resources into fewer, more powerful national-level constellations.
Overall, the scale and pace of these programmes highlight China’s determination to build a comprehensive and self-reliant satellite communications architecture. With tens of thousands of satellites planned across multiple constellations, Beijing is clearly positioning itself as a dominant player in the future of space-based connectivity, navigation, and strategic communications.
December 2025 ITU Filings: China’s 200,000-Satellite Shock
In addition to the constellations already under development, December 2025 marked a dramatic escalation in China’s space ambitions. During this period, China submitted a series of filings to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for new satellite constellations that, taken together, amount to nearly 200,000 satellites—a scale unprecedented in global space planning.
At the core of these filings are two massive constellations, CTC-1 and CTC-2. Each of these systems is planned to include 96,714 satellites, deployed across 3,660 orbital planes. Combined, CTC-1 and CTC-2 alone account for more than 190,000 satellites, underscoring China’s intent to secure long-term spectrum rights and orbital slots on an extraordinary scale, far exceeding any existing or currently operational constellation.
Alongside these mega-projects, China also filed for several additional networks with more targeted roles. The CHINAMOBILE-L1 constellation, planned by China Mobile, envisions 2,520 satellites, reflecting the telecom giant’s push to integrate space-based connectivity with terrestrial mobile networks. Similarly, the SAILSPACE-1 network proposes 1,296 satellites, aimed at expanding space-based communications capacity.
Another notable filing is the TIANQI-3G system, which plans 1,132 satellites. This system builds on China’s existing Tianqi satellite programmes and is expected to support narrowband communications, data relay, and Internet of Things–related services.
Why China Is Racing for Orbital and Spectrum Control
China also included a smaller but strategically important proposal from China Satcom, which involves 24 satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO). These satellites are linked to the broader Guowang architecture and are likely intended to complement low-Earth-orbit systems by enhancing coverage, resilience, and redundancy.
Galaxy Space, one of China’s leading private space companies, filed plans for a 91-satellite constellation, reflecting the growing role of commercial players within China’s state-guided space ecosystem.
Taken together, these ITU filings signal China’s clear intention to dominate future orbital real estate and spectrum allocation. Even if only a fraction of these proposed satellites are eventually launched, the sheer scale of the filings positions China to exert long-term influence over global satellite communications, space governance, and the strategic balance in low-Earth and medium-Earth orbits.
While the above-mentioned filings require technical examination by the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau and potential coordination with other nations, China’s strategic intent is clear: securing long-term spectrum priority and preventing China from being crowded out by Western filings.
Strategic Motivations and Deployment Progress
China’s investment in LEO constellations is driven by multiple objectives. Economically, these systems will help capture a share of the growing global satellite internet market, reducing dependence on Western providers. Technologically, they advance China’s capabilities in satellite manufacturing, launch services, and space operations. Most significantly from a strategic perspective, these constellations provide China with independent communication networks that cannot be easily disrupted by adversaries, alongside enhanced reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.
The urgency behind China’s massive ITU filings stems from the “first come, first served” principle governing satellite spectrum and orbital resource allocation. According to ITU data, LEO can theoretically accommodate approximately 60,000 satellites. Currently, the USA dominates with 75.94% of spacecraft in orbit, while China accounts for only 9.43%. This asymmetry, combined with SpaceX’s Starlink network already comprising the majority of active LEO satellites, has driven China to secure its position through pre-emptive filings.
Surveillance from Space: Implications for India’s Borders
1. Pressure on India’s Space and Launch Capabilities
(a) Enhanced Surveillance Capabilities along the disputed Sino-Indian border. The increased frequency of satellite passes over Indian territory, particularly sensitive military installations and border regions, raises concerns about operational security and strategic surprise.
(b) In any potential conflict scenario, China’s robust satellite communication network could provide decisive advantages in command and control, coordination of forces, and resilience against jamming or disruption. This asymmetry becomes particularly relevant given the challenging terrain of the Himalayan border regions where terrestrial communications infrastructure is limited.
(c) China’s LEO constellations, potentially equipped with dual-use technologies, reflect its understanding of space as an integral component of modern warfare. The ability to rapidly deploy, replace, or repurpose satellites provides flexibility that India must account for in its defense planning.
2. Military Communications and Warfighting Advantages
(a) China’s aggressive constellation deployment schedule puts pressure on India’s own space program to accelerate development. While ISRO has announced plans for its own LEO constellation and has demonstrated significant capabilities, the scale and pace of Chinese projects present a competitive challenge.
(b) Chinese satellite internet services, once operational, could undercut India’s domestic and regional market for connectivity services. This has implications for India’s digital economy, rural connectivity initiatives, and the commercial viability of Indian space ventures.
(c) China’s substantial investment in launch infrastructure, including reusable rocket technology and high-cadence launch capabilities, enables rapid constellation deployment. India’s current launch capacity, while growing, cannot yet match Chinese throughput, potentially widening the strategic gap.
3. Military Communications and Warfighting Advantages
(a) China is likely to offer satellite connectivity services to Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, potentially including nations in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region. This could extend Chinese influence in India’s immediate neighbourhood and provide it with leverage over regional communications infrastructure.
(b) Countries in India’s periphery adopting Chinese satellite internet systems may raise concerns about data security, surveillance, and dependence on Chinese infrastructure—issues that resonate with broader debates about technological sovereignty.
4. Regional Influence through Satellite Connectivity
(a) The December 2025 ITU filings for nearly 200,000 satellites, combined with existing mega-constellations from multiple nations, dramatically increases the risk of orbital debris, collisions, and the Kessler Syndrome—a cascade of collisions that could render certain orbital zones unusable. While LEO can theoretically accommodate approximately 60,000 satellites, the race to file for hundreds of thousands creates significant sustainability concerns. This affects all spacefaring nations, including India, which rely on LEO for Earth observation, communications, and navigation satellites.
(b) Absence of binding international regulations on mega-constellations creates uncertainty. China’s approach to space sustainability and debris mitigation will have direct consequences for India’s ability to safely operate its own space assets. The sheer scale of China’s ambitions—from current deployments to the 200,000+ satellite filings—raises questions about whether existing international frameworks can effectively manage this unprecedented expansion of space activity.
The Strategic Meaning of Space as the New High Ground
China’s ambitious LEO satellite constellation programs represent a fundamental shift in the space domain with far-reaching implications for India. With China currently holding only 9.43% of global spacecraft compared to USA’s 75.94%, it is racing to close the gap through massive investment and rapid deployment. The race for LEO is ultimately a test of India’s ability to adapt to the changing character of strategic competition in the 21st century—one where control of the high ground takes on a literal meaning extending hundreds of kilometers above Earth’s surface, and where the competition now involves not thousands but potentially hundreds of thousands of satellites.
