Off the wire
• 2nd LD Writethru: 7 killed, 30 injured as blast hits market area in NW Pakistan  • Xinjiang foreign trade soars 70 pct in first two months  • More than half of Cambodians use Internet: Telecoms minister  • Interview: legal expert says Mexico has strong case to sue U.S. for lost territories  • Chinese shares close higher Friday  • Commentary: Xi-Trump meeting to set tone for China-U.S. ties  • 1st LD Writethru: 5 killed, 25 injured as blast hits market area in NW Pakistan  • Typhoid outbreak sparks health alert in New Zealand's biggest city  • 29 workers rescued from Saudi Arabia: Indian FM  • Tibet experiences another warm winter  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD-Writethru: State-owned aerospace giant to launch 156 mini-satellites

Xinhua, March 31, 2017 Adjust font size:

State-owned China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation (CASIC) have announced plans for a network of 156 mini-satellites to facilitate global broadband coverage.

This is the first low orbiting, networked satellite project, which will orbit 1,000 km above the ground, developed by China amid its wider push for commercial space development, according to CASIC.

"The network is a general satellite platform," said Bei Chao, a CASIC engineer, who added that add-ons and upgrades were being explored next.

Small satellites are easy to mass produce and upgrade at low cost. Low orbit helps avoid signal delay; and satellite communication services with frequencies from 26.5 to 40 hertz will improve Internet access.

The project plans to send the first satellite before 2018, and launch four more by 2020 to form a constellation. By the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), all 156 satellites will be in operation.

CASIC launched an experimental satellite "TK-1" in early March, featuring high-carrying efficiency and adaptability. Endi