China is preparing to break the dominance of American billionaire businessman Elon Musk’s Starlink. For this, the Chinese Space Agency is preparing to launch 13000 satellite networks. According to reports in Chinese media on Friday, China will install these satellites in its low Earth orbit.
Why is China afraid of Starlink?
Currently, Starlink has over 3,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. SpaceX aims to deploy 12000 satellites by 2027. But, the company plans to take it up to 30,000 satellites in the future. According to the researchers, the Starlink constellation poses a threat to other countries’ satellites due to the US Defense Department’s Pentagon contract with SpaceX. He can order SpaceX through its Starlink satellites to shoot down and destroy satellites of other countries in space.
China’s 13000 satellite plan
The China Satellite Network Group plans to quickly put 12,992 satellites into orbit. In 2020 itself, China indicated plans to build 13,000 satellite communication networks to the UN-affiliated International Telecommunication Union.
Chinese military engineers are handling the project
China’s ambitious mission is being handled by a team led by Xu Can, associate professor at the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Space Engineering University in Beijing. The team aims to do this before Starlink is completed. Xu’s team wrote in the journal article that this step will ensure that our country has a significant space in low Earth orbit and can be stopped before Starlink fills the space in low Earth orbit.
SpaceX has already deployed thousands of small satellites into low Earth orbit to provide high-speed internet around the world. Due to the low altitude of the satellites, a higher number is required to extend the service over a wider area. This means Starlink will require more satellites, but it has already multiplied the number of man-made satellites in orbit.