Commercial Satellite Constellations in China

James Zheng, Weijia Ren, Chengyin Xie

Spacety

November 11, 2019

• On April 24, 1970, China launched its first satellite Dong Fang Hong 1 with its Long March 1 launch vehicle. This marks the beginning of Chinese Space program and made China the fifth country after the Soviet Union, United States, France, and Japan to independently build and launch a satellite • On October 15, 2003，the first Chinese astronaut, Yang Liwei, entered into space on board the Chinese Shenzhou 5 spacecraft launched by Long March 2F launch vehicle. This unveiled the China’s human space flight missions, including Chinese Space Station Program

2 History of Chinese Space Program (cont’d)

• As part of Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, China made history on Dec. 4, 2013, with a successful landing for the Chang'e-3 mission. The touchdown in Mare Imbrium, an ancient volcanic plain, represented the first soft landing on the moon in nearly 40 years. • On January 3, 2019，Chang’e-4, a robotic spacecraft, achieved the world’s first soft landing on the far side of the Moon, with a communication relay satellite Queqiao

3 Space Industry in China

• China has a different space industry structure from most of the countries in the world • All the national space programs so far have been implemented with state-owned space companies, such as China Aeropace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), not by private commercial companies. • CASC has complete capabilities, ranging from launch vehicles, spacecraft, space robotis, landers, rovers, to payloads and scientific instrument. It owns several space research academies, including the famous China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) • Before 2015, there was no real commercial space companies or activities in China. All the space related activities were linked to the Chinese government space programs.

4 Commercial Space in China

• In 2015, the Chinese government introduced a new space policy, which opens space business, such as launch vehicles, satellites, and satellite applications, to private investment and enterprises. • This creates a new competition environment in China, and, most importantly, creates a commercial space industry. • Since then, a lot of private funds have entered into space business, which created many private commercial space companies in launch vehicles, satellites, space applications, and space education. • Commercial space enjoyed a significant growth in China. • Among many of the private space start-ups, Spacety stands out as a leader in satellite manufacturing and constellations, and has launched 15 satellites since founded in 2016.

5 Satellite Constellations in China

• Even though a big space country, China is relatively new to commercial applications of satellite data and communications • There is a huge potential market for commercial satellite applications and services based on constellations. • Innovation, advancement, and rapid growth of small satellite industry have shifted the paradigm for satellite constellations, making services based constellations viable economically. • Many private and state-owned space companies are entering into the satellite constellation market by developing its own constellation, or providing satellites, payloads, and services.

6 Planned Constellations in China

Company Constellation Number Mass Orbit Service

Comprehensive 1296 10kg LEO Sensing Spacety Sensing 720 50kg LEO/MEO data

Changguang Jiling-1 138 200kg LEO EO

CASC Hongyan 300 300kg LEO/MEO Comm

CASIC Hongyun 156 200kg LEO/MEO Comm

CASC Xingyun 80 100kg LEO IoT

Commsat 72 100kg LEO IoT

Guodian Tech Tianqi 38 10kg LEO IoT

Galaxy Space 650 90kg LEO Comm

LaserFleet 288 80kg MEO Laser Comm

Guoxing Space AI Constellation 192 10kg LEO EO

0-G Lab Lingque 132 10kg LEO EO

Lianshang Net WIFI Const 300 100kg LEO Comm

7 Launchers in China

From 1970-2019: ◆China has developed the Long March (LM) launch vehicle with high reliability and strong capability, which include the LM-2C/D, LM-2F, LM-3A, LM-4B series and New Generation launch vehicles including LM-5/6/7/11 etc. LM- LM-2F 3B LM- LM-5 LM-2C LM- 3C LM-7 /CTS 3A LM- 4B LM-2D LM-6 LM-2C

LM- 11

New Generation New Generation

8 Launchers under Development

LM-6A: first flight planned in 2020;

LM-7A 5.5 ton~7 ton for GTO orbit

For the future Environmental friendly LM-8 New Generation launch 5 ton for 700km SSO; first flight planned in 2020 vehicle are under planning and development.

LM-9 50 ton~140 ton for LEO

◆Reusable launch vehicle technology.

9 Piggyback Launch Opportunities

Fairing/ No. Launch Vehicle Slot Orbit(km) LTDN Margin(kg) Envelop SSO 1 LM-6 SSO opportunities for piggyback payloads in 2020 2.6m / TBD 3 LM-4B 2020 655 TBD 100 4 LM-4C 2020 688 14:00 100 5 LM-4C 2020 688 TBD 100 6 LM-4C 2020 747 10:30 200 7 LM-2C 2021.01 500 6:00 500 3.35m or 8 LM-2C 2021.03 500 6:00 500 4.2m 9 LM-2C/SMA 2021.12 782 10:30 300 10 LM-2D 2021 500 14:11 300 11 LM-2C 2021 700 8:00 200 12 LM-2C 2021 700 14:00 200 13 LM-4B After 2021 500 10:30 300 LEO 14 LM-2C 2021 635(29°) - 700 3.35m / TBD 15 LM-2C 2022 650(29°) - 600 GTO 16 There are some piggyback opportunities in 2019 and 2020

10 Spacety

• A fast growing private commercial space company in China, founded in 2016 with headquarters in Changsha and R&D in Beijing. • Since founded, has launched and operated 15 satellites, and two more to be launched this month, the #1 private space company in China in terms of satellites launched. • Providing end-to-end one-shop satellite solutions with low cost, high reliability and performance micro satellite platforms • Providing fast and flexible in-orbit demonstration of technologies and science, and launch services through partners. • Providing space education with hands-on training of satellite production and operations

11 Spacety’s Constellation Strategy

• A data and application platform with data from satellite constellations and ground sensing networks to support variety of applications. • Focus on capabilities of low-cost, high performance and high reliability satellite platforms. • Build satellite manufacturing capabilities with satellite mass production lines. • Build satellite constellations through collaborations • Start with needs and applications in the Chinese market and expand to the global market • Enable international satellite applications to enter into the Chinese market through our data and application platform

12 Thank You

[email protected]