Space is about to get more crowded for Elon Musk
Rivals Emerge to Challenge Starlink’s Dominance
Bengaluru/Beijing/Brasilia: The billionaire’s Starlink communications network is facing increasingly stiff challenges to its dominance of high-speed satellite internet, including from a Chinese state-backed rival and another service financed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.
SpaceSail Enters the Fray
Shanghai-based SpaceSail in November signed an agreement to enter Brazil and announced it was in talks with over 30 countries. Two months later, it began work in Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh embassy in Beijing. The company has announced plans to deploy 648 LEO satellites this year and as many as 15,000 by 2030.
Rivals Join the Fray
Separately, BrasÃlia is in talks with Bezos’s Project Kuiper internet service and Canada’s Telesat, according to a Brazilian official involved in the negotiations. News of those discussions is being reported for the first time. Starlink has since 2020 launched more satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO) – an altitude of less than 2,000 km – than all its competitors combined.
China’s Ambitions
China launched a record 263 LEO satellites last year, according to data from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell analyzed by tech consultancy Analysys Mason. The emergence of competition to Starlink has been welcomed by Brazil’s government, which wants high-speed internet for communities in far-flung areas but has previously faced off with Musk over commerce and politics.
China’s Qianfan Constellation
SpaceSail’s launches will eventually comprise the Qianfan, or "Thousand Sails," constellation that marks China’s first international push into satellite broadband. Three other Chinese constellations are also in development, with Beijing planning to launch 43,000 LEO satellites in the coming decades and investing in rockets that can carry multiple satellites.
The Endgame
"The endgame is to occupy as many orbital slots as possible," said Chaitanya Giri, a space technology expert at India’s Observer Research Foundation.
China’s Rush to Occupy Lower-Earth Orbit
China’s rush to occupy more of lower-Earth orbit has raised concerns among Western policymakers, who worry that it could extend the reach of Beijing’s internet censorship regime. Researchers at the American Foreign Policy Council think-tank said in a February paper that Washington should increase cooperation with Global South nations if it wanted to "seriously contest China’s growing foray into digital dominance."
The Wild West
Starlink’s rapid expansion and its use in the war in Ukraine has caught the attention of military researchers like those at China’s National University of Defense Technology, prompting significant state funding for rival satellite networks. Hongqing Technology, which was founded in 2017 and is developing a 10,000-satellite constellation, this month raised 340 million yuan from mostly state-affiliated investors.
Conclusion
The space world is moving fast and busy experimenting. Pioneers are enjoying this relative freedom and are shaping it to their advantage to claim key positions before rules become more stringent – like the wild west. As the competition heats up, it remains to be seen how Starlink will respond to the challenges ahead.
FAQs
Q: What is SpaceSail?
A: SpaceSail is a Chinese state-backed company developing a satellite constellation to provide high-speed internet globally.
Q: What is Starlink?
A: Starlink is a satellite constellation developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide high-speed internet globally.
Q: What is the Qianfan constellation?
A: Qianfan is a Chinese satellite constellation being developed to provide satellite broadband services.
Q: What is the Belt and Road Initiative?
A: The Belt and Road Initiative is a global infrastructure development plan initiated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to expand Beijing’s geopolitical influence.