17 satellites in one shot! China's time-sensitive launch is competing with SpaceX Starlink for the last resources!

At 7:26 a.m. on December 26, the Wenchang Commercial Aerospace Launch Site echoed with a thunderous sound — the Long March 8A carrier rocket soared into the sky, accurately placing 17 low-orbit communication satellites into their designated orbits. This was not just a routine launch mission, but also a key step for China to accelerate its layout of satellite internet against the backdrop of increasingly tight global low-orbit spectrum and orbital resource conditions.

The Earth's low orbit typically ranges from 300 to 2000 kilometers, making it an ideal area for deploying communication satellites: low signal delay and high coverage efficiency. However, this space is not infinite. The International Telecommunication Union stipulates that once a country or company applies for a specific frequency band and orbital position, it must complete deployment within a specified time frame; otherwise, it is considered abandoned.

This means "first come, first served" has become a hard rule — whoever launches and puts the satellite into use first will lock in the valuable spectrum usage rights.

SpaceX's Starlink program is a pioneer under this logic. Starlink has already launched more than 6,000 satellites, occupying a large amount of Ku and Ka band resources and obtaining operating licenses in many countries around the world. This rapid expansion not only builds commercial barriers but also subtly squeezes the strategic space for later entrants. If other countries do not act quickly, they may face an embarrassing situation where they have the technology but no spectrum.

Under such pressure, China has accelerated its deployment pace. This time, 17 satellites were launched in one shot, using the Long March 8A — a medium-sized rocket optimized for commercial launches, with a carrying capacity of about 5 tons to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit, supporting multi-satellite deployment and rapid turnaround.

Low-orbit satellite networks are not only an extension of internet services but also the infrastructure for national capabilities such as military communications, navigation enhancement, and remote sensing monitoring. Whoever controls a larger constellation will take the initiative in data sovereignty, emergency response, and even space discourse power.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852533473273866/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.