China Applies To Launch 200,000 Satellites Into Space, The West Concerned They Are Planning To Build A Mega Constellation

China has applied to launch almost 200,000 satellites into space, sparking concerns that the nation seeks to build a ‘mega-constellation’.

On December 29, a newly formed body called the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation filed applications for two satellite constellations.

Each of these enormous collections of spacecraft, dubbed CTC-1 and CTC-2, would contain 96,714 satellites spread over 3,660 different orbits. If completed, China’s new mega-constellation would dwarf even SpaceX‘s bold ambition to put 49,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. Together, CTC-1 and CTC-2 would be the largest assembly of satellites ever put in orbit, and would effectively lock competitors out of a region of low-Earth orbit.

With Chinese authorities remaining quiet about the satellites’ intended use, experts have raised concerns that the constellation may pose a security or defence threat. As reported by China in Space, the Nanjing University of Aeronautics claims that the satellites will focus on: ‘Low-altitude electromagnetic space security, integrated security defence systems, electromagnetic space security assessment of airspace, and low-altitude airspace safety supervision services.’

This suggests the constellations may play a similar role to the SpaceX Starshield satellites used by the US military for secure tracking and communications.

These applications were filed with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a UN body that allocates spectrum allowances in space.

With the applications filed, other operators will need to demonstrate to the ITU that new satellites in this orbit won’t interfere with the constellation’s operations. These satellites may have any number of benign functions, from tracking extreme weather and providing navigation for aircraft to offering Starlink-style communication services.

However, the applications come at a time of increasing tension between the space ambitions of China and the US. Not only are the two nations racing to be the first to establish a permanent presence on the moon, but they are also competing for dominance in the field of low-Earth orbit. Military satellites form part of the so-called ‘kill mesh’, an automated network linking sensors, satellites, communications systems and weapons.

In the war in Ukraine, satellite communications and the ability to jam the enemy’s own satellites have been critical to shaping the conflict.

China appears to be testing several ‘fast movers’ capable of moving around the geostationary orbit belt (GEO), lifting falling satellites back into orbit or potentially sabotaging US space assets.

Speaking at an event at Chatham House in March, Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, deputy chief of Space Operations for Intelligence with the U.S. Space Force, said: ‘There are a number of what the Chinese refer to as these experimental communication satellites that are out in GEO, and yet these GEO satellites.

‘They’re sliding, or they’re moving very frequently across the GEO belt, which is a behaviour that is very uncharacteristic of a satellite that’s intended to provide satellite communication.’

Mr Lerch added: ‘We [U.S. Space Force] see great risk right now because of the unprecedented growth, as well as the unmanaged competition.’

For its part, China has been clear that it sees space as a legitimate frontier for competition with the US. As early as 2021, President Xi Jinping claimed that space was an ‘important strategic asset for the country that must be well managed and utilised and, more importantly, protected.’

China now has approximately 1,000 satellites in orbit, marking a significant increase from around 40 satellites in 2010. While these two new constellations might become part of China’s growing military space presence, the more serious worry is that they may be part of a ‘land grab’.