On December 16th, China successfully launched the first batch of satellites for its satellite internet low-Earth orbit group 01, using the Long March 5B carrier rocket from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan. The rocket carried 10 satellites in a single launch, and they successfully entered their predetermined orbit, marking a complete success for the mission.
This marks the first batch network launch of the "Guowang Constellation" of the Chinese Star Network, as well as the first time the Long March 5B rocket has been used for a satellite internet launch mission.
The low-Earth orbit group 01 satellites are equipped with payloads operating in the Ka frequency band, primarily providing broadband communication and internet access services to users. The Long March 5B carrier rocket used in this launch is a large liquid-fueled launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and is China's largest new-generation rocket for low-Earth orbit payload capacity.
The low-Earth orbit group 01 satellites come from the China Satellite Network Group Corporation (SatNet), serving as the "national team" in the satellite internet sector.
From a timeline perspective, in 2019, China Star Network (SatNet) began feasibility studies and research; in September 2020, it submitted its first orbital frequency application (12,992 satellites) to the International Telecommunication Union; in April 2021, the China Satellite Network Group Corporation was established.
The Guowang Constellation is China's first mega satellite internet project and the country's first integrated terrestrial and satellite 6G internet plan. The "Guowang Constellation" of the Chinese Star Network consists of two sub-constellations: gw-a59 and gw-a2, forming a global internet satellite constellation. In the future, a direct satellite-to-phone communication mode will be introduced. The gw constellation plans to launch a total of 12,992 satellites, including 6,080 satellites in the gw-a59 sub-constellation, distributed in ultra-low orbits below 500km, and 6,912 satellites in the gw-a2 sub-constellation, distributed in a near-Earth orbit at 1,145km.