Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 01/18/2026 2:18:33 PM PST by nickcarraway
A Chinese space institute has filed to launch some satellites into orbit. And by "some," I mean nearly 200,000 total, which would be over ten times more than are in orbit today. Specifically, the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation is hoping to launch two constellations of exactly 96,714 satellites each. That application has gone to the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is responsible for ensuring that one country's satellites don't broadcast on the same frequencies as another's. There's, uh, going to be a lot of work to do approving an application of that size.
What exactly is China up to here? As the New Scientist points out, reach may be exceeding grasp by quite a ways. Last year, the country launched 92 rockets into space, a personal best for the nation. But SpaceX launched a record-breaking 165, and keep in mind that the company's own Starlink constellation has only gotten 10,000 satellites into orbit. That's an honestly breathtaking number... one that China is now trying to beat 20 times over. And given the way that ITU approval works, it would only have 14 years to get all 200,000 into orbit, including milestone targets along the way: one satellite for each constellation would have to get up in seven years, then 10,000 each in another two years, 50,000 each three years after that, before getting the full 100,000 each two years after that. Good luck with that!
A land grab, but in space, where there is no land
Kevin Frayer/Getty Images Likely, what China is actually doing here is just reserving a bunch of communications spectrum and orbital 'turf' now and then figuring out what to do with it later. Maybe it only gets 20,000 satellites into orbit over the next 14 years, or maybe it's 30,000, but either way it's gotten approval that covers it. It might even be an attempt to see if it can box out competitors by seizing a bunch of spectrum all for itself, although it's not clear that this would work. China could just be poking around to see how it can manipulate the process to its advantage, who knows.
Of course, China is merely playing catch-up with the true power in space: Rwanda. Yes, as the New Scientist pointed out, the tiny African nation applied for no less than 327,000 satellites back in 2021. The result of this power play has been... not much. The rest of the world has just continued launching their own constellations just fine, and Rwanda itself hasn't deployed very many satellites. So China might just be making noise to look big without having much of an actual impact.
What this all indicates is that Earth orbit is getting more and more congested at a rapid pace, and in this unprecedented situation, space companies and agencies are trying lots of new ideas. Some of them may never materialize, but every once in a while, some of them probably will. It won't be long until the night (and day!) sky is covered with satellites, which will be a whole new world for us here on Earth.
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
What could possibly go wrong?
Target practice.
Kessler Syndrome.
China has ‘applied.’ but to whom?
more space junk and spy satellites
I wonder when we will achieve satellite critical mass?
Simple solution is to only approve a few at time until they demonstrate ability to launch. When those go up, do the next clump.
In a couple of weeks they’ll start falling out of the sky. 😆
The commies are big on grand plans that never materialize.
Just think how much information the Chinese have about the world. Every camera has given them a full 3D model and security access) of nearly every building in the USA vias “security cameras” and cell phone cameras. Every room in every house and restaurant hotel... Anywhere there cameras are. Every website is tracked, every purchase recorded. Every “smart” TV and phone records every conversation. And everyone gives them permission.
Imagine what they’ll do with 200,000 satellites watching everything from above BUT HEY. Cheap internet anywhere.
Let’s see how strong China is when they have to start paying market prices for oil, instead of the welfare prices they’ve been given for so long.
Velly Queyer!
Everything China has is the result of a handicap advantage.
This includes their theft of US digital technology. They’ve never had to do things from their own merit.
but isn’t the Chinese Communist Party about to fall right after Iran ? LOL
Hot diggity! Cheap Rwandan Internet for all!
“In a couple of weeks they’ll start falling out of the sky. 😆”
China stuff is disposable. They figure if one in 10 work that’s OK for them.
If we abolish the UN does that mean their application has been rejected?
Lol.
Exactly my question
“ What could possibly go wrong?”
****************************
Definitely the KESSLER EFFECT. China has not minded polluting the Earth so preventing pollution of the heavens won’t be their priority.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.