A second player has officially entered the race to pack low Earth orbit with communications satellites. Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) launched its first set of 18 satellites into space on Monday. The Chinese company aims to build out a 15,000-satellite network by 2030 to provide broadband internet globally, referred to as “Thousand Sails Constellation.” If the premise sounds similar, it’s exactly what Elon Musk and SpaceX are doing with Starlink.
SSST was conceived with the implicit goal of rivaling SpaceX and the United States on various fronts. First, there’s the commercial potential in operating a satellite broadband network. The company, backed by Shanghai’s municipal government, raised $933 million in startup capital to begin launches. Second, there’s the military aspect of a constellation. After studying the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the People’s Liberation Army felt that it would be at a disadvantage in a military conflict against the United States without its own satellite network, according to Reuters.
The Sat Race aside, it’s becoming clear that launching hundreds of thousands of satellites into orbit is a bad idea. A study found that Starlink satellites burning up in the atmosphere after their seven-year service life could deplete the ozone layer. They burn up to avoid harming people and damaging structures on the ground, something that China’s space agencies have trouble avoiding.
Could Starlink’s potential 42,000-satellite network be operated safely? Maybe. Adding in SSST’s potential 15,000-satellite network, could both networks operate safely? Some say it’s a catastrophe waiting to happen. The European Space Agency is already concerned with the amount of traffic in low Earth orbit with only 35,000 objects.
