Latest news with #Guowang
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Donald Trump's plan to make Tiktok American may fail, thanks to this 'Chinese video call'
TikTok Chinese scientists have reportedly achieved a global first by successfully conducting a direct 5G satellite-to-smartphone broadband video call. According to a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP), the world's first direct 5G satellite-to-smartphone broadband video call by scientists in China. The milestone can reportedly challenge U.S. restrictions on apps like TikTok. The test, performed earlier this month using a technology demonstration satellite, highlights the potential for streaming video content directly to standard smartphones via satellite, bypassing traditional cell towers. However, experts caution that significant regulatory, technical, and practical hurdles remain. China's rival to Elon Musk's SpaceX at hand The demonstration, led by China Satellite Network Group (China SatNet), utilized the 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standard, enabling a smartphone to connect to a satellite without specialized hardware. Liang Baojun, head of China SatNet, announced the achievement at the Xiongan BeiDou Ecosystem Cooperation Conference. 'We validated key elements of the integrated space-ground network architecture,' Liang said, though he provided no further details. China SatNet oversees the Guowang megaconstellation, a planned 13,000-satellite network aimed at rivaling SpaceX's Starlink. This breakthrough could enable mobile coverage in remote areas, supporting applications in maritime, aviation, defense, emergency response, and autonomous systems. Unlike traditional networks reliant on ground-based infrastructure, satellite connectivity could deliver universal access, a growing global demand. The development comes amid U.S. efforts to restrict Chinese-owned apps like TikTok. In April 2024, then-President Joe Biden signed a law requiring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest the platform to a non-Chinese entity by January 19, 2025, or face a U.S. ban. President Donald Trump, since returning to office, has twice delayed the deadline, with the latest set for June 19, 2025. A 5G analyst from the International Data Corporation (IDC), speaking anonymously due to the issue's sensitivity, downplayed the immediate impact of satellite-based networks. 'Satellite operators require licenses and face strict regulations, so bypassing oversight isn't feasible,' the analyst said. 'Bandwidth limitations also make streaming large amounts of video traffic impractical.' Geostationary satellites introduce latency issues, with delays starting at 400 milliseconds, while low Earth orbit (LEO) systems like Guowang require extensive satellite deployments to ensure adequate coverage. Possible, but not that easy Until now, satellite-to-smartphone communication has focused on basic functions like text messaging and voice calls. In 2020, U.S.-based Lynk Global sent the world's first satellite-to-phone text message. Other key players in the sector include SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile, Samsung, MediaTek, and Thales Group. In China, efforts to scale satellite communication are intensifying. Alongside China SatNet, the newly formed China Spatiotemporal Information Group (CSTI), established in May 2024, is driving integration of satellite internet, the BeiDou navigation system, and real-time data infrastructure. Comprising China SatNet, China Mobile, and defense contractor Norinco, CSTI aims to develop practical applications for logistics, energy, smart cities, disaster response, and national defense. While China's 5G satellite breakthrough showcases its advancing space capabilities, experts say widespread adoption remains years away, limited by technical and regulatory challenges. For now, the technology underscores the growing global race to redefine connectivity—and its implications for digital sovereignty.
WIRED
20-05-2025
- Business
- WIRED
China's Effort to Build a Competitor to Starlink Is Off to a Bumpy Start
May 20, 2025 5:00 AM China has launched over 100 satellites for two broadband networks that could eventually rival the service from Elon Musk's SpaceX, but progress is hampered by launch bottlenecks and high failure rates. The Long March-8 Y6 carrier rocket carrying a group of 18 low Earth orbit satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site on March 12, 2025, in Wenchang, China. Photograph: Getty Images If you gaze up at the night sky, there's a good chance you'll spot a trail of fast-moving, bright dots—newly launched Starlink satellites. But you might soon also see something else: spacecraft from Chinese projects building their own Starlink-like low Earth orbit satellite internet networks. More than 100 satellites have been launched from China since August—the first batches of two mega-constellations that are aiming to have about 28,000 satellites combined when they're completed. The two Chinese projects are officially called Guowang and Qianfan, but they each have a confusing set of alternative names in English due to their corporate structures and language differences. The former, which is also known as Xingwang or SatNet, is primarily focused on domestic telecommunications and national security use cases. The latter, which is also known as Spacesail or SSST, is more oriented toward providing service to foreign telecom companies. So far, Qianfan has signed deals with Brazil, Malaysia, and Thailand and has said it's eyeing dozens of other markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Compared to Starlink, which operates more than 7,000 satellites, China is clearly still playing catch-up. But Guowang and Qianfan are joining a group of Starlink competitors around the world accelerating their operations, and they could give the market leader a run for its money in the end. The newcomers also stand to benefit as CEO Elon Musk's deepening entanglements in US politics raises reputational and security risks for SpaceX (Starlink's parent company) globally. '2023 and 2024 were the years of Starlink deployment. 2025 is the year of other actors getting into the game,' says Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory who has been tracking satellite constellations globally. 'In the West, we severely underreport the commercial side of the Chinese space industry.' But as Guowang and Qianfan launch their first batches of satellites, they are also running into troubles, including higher numbers of faulty satellites than SpaceX, bureaucratic hurdles, and limited rocket launch capacity. And if they don't launch enough satellites into space soon, they could be asked by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations body that coordinates space launches, to scale down the size of their planned constellations. Guowang and Qianfan couldn't be reached for comment. SpaceX didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. Faulty Satellites As of last month, Qianfan has launched 90 satellites that will provide broadband internet service for ground users, while Guowang has launched 29. The latter has also launched around a dozen experimental satellites since 2023, but it hasn't been transparent about their purpose, and it seemingly doesn't count them toward the numbers in its official constellation. While Qianfan is slightly ahead, it is also grappling with a significant issue: a concerningly high rate of possible faulty satellites compared to other, similar projects. Unlike Starlink, which publishes GPS information of its satellites in orbit, the Chinese companies have disclosed little about how their satellites are doing. Instead, researchers have relied on data collected by the US Space Force, which tracks all space objects by radar and releases public data about them. Jonathan McDowell, a researcher who maintains a website that analyzes information collected about low Earth orbit satellite networks, says that, of the 90 satellites that Qianfan has launched, 13 seem to have exhibited irregular behavior, namely they didn't rise up to their target orbit height along with their peers. Qianfan's second batch, which it launched in October 2024, contained only five satellites that reached their planned height out of 18, according to McDowell. McDowell says these satellites are not necessarily dead—some could be dormant, waiting for better positioning opportunities—but overall, Qianfan's satellites clearly underperform compared to others. While Starlink started with about a 3 percent failure rate, it has since gone down to less than 0.5 percent, according to McDowell's data. OneWeb, the British mega-constellation with over 600 satellites, contains only two failed ones that are stuck in space. According to the Shanghai local government, Qianfan's second batch of satellites are made by a different manufacturing supplier, Genesat, which could be related to why it performed worse than other batches. It was the first time Genesat delivered mass-produced satellites, a press release at launch time said. Another problem is that Qianfan and Guowang are literally aiming higher. Both projects have opted to put their satellites in higher orbits than Starlink, making their failed satellites harder to deorbit and more likely to become long-term space debris. Given the planned sizes of these mega-constellations, their higher failure rates could mean that space will be crowded with even more dead satellites. 'What can happen is that you will have so many satellites operating in the same orbital shell that you're constantly having to move your satellite out of concerns of close approach,' says Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit organization focusing on outer space sustainability. That will create logistical burdens and extra costs for other satellite operators, and Samson says there's an urgent need to establish coordination mechanisms between nations to avoid space collisions as mega-constellation projects pick up their pace. 'Right now, there's no real space traffic control system,' she explains. The Clock Is Ticking While the Chinese projects are ahead of some competitors—Amazon, for instance, launched its first batch of 27 Project Kuiper internet satellites in April—they are very far behind Starlink as well as their own ambitious goals. Before companies can send a satellite into space, they need to register their road map with the ITU and reserve the radio frequency spectrum for their spacecraft to communicate with the ground. According to ITU filings, Guowang wants to have nearly 13,000 satellites in total, while Qianfan plans to have more than 15,000. It's not unusual for companies to make overly aspirational satellite plans but never achieve them, but the ITU requires firms to launch their first satellite within seven years of reserving the spectrum, then steadily make progress toward completing their launches within seven years after that. If they don't, they may have to scale back their intentions. Those requirements could soon become a serious problem for both Guowang and Qianfan. Since they began launching their non-experimental satellites last year, the clock is now ticking, and the ITU rules state they will need to have sent 10 percent of their spacecraft into the sky by 2026. Compared to Starlink, both constellations appear to be slow in making progress. Starlink launched its first batch of satellites in May 2019, and the company got into a steady rhythm the following year, reaching almost 2,000 satellites in about two years, says McDowell. Guowang in particular has been moving slower than many observers expected since it first registered with the ITU in 2020. 'Everybody, myself included, was expecting there to be a pretty quick ramp up, because they had a lot of money, they had a lot of support, and they had this government mandate' to become the Chinese Starlink, says Blaine Curcio, founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting, a market research firm that focuses on the Chinese space industry. Guowang, or SatNet, as some have come to call it, was one of the first satellite companies that made a high-profile move into Xiong'an, a development near Beijing that the Chinese government has been promoting as a high-tech city of the future. But its ties to the government may have also led to bureaucratic hurdles, Curcio says. The company is led by executives from large state-owned enterprises, who likely bring with them a more traditional, top-down style of management. 'They're just not going to move fast and break things,' he explains. Although Qianfan also has state backing from Shanghai's municipal government, experts say it operates more like a modern business and has hired experienced executives from the finance and business sectors, which may be why it's been moving faster than Guowang. But there's one serious bottleneck that's plaguing both projects right now: rocket availability. While China launches a large number of rockets annually, they have to be shared among various projects, including satellites for navigation and remote sensing. More importantly, China still doesn't have any operable reusable rockets yet, which have been essential for Starlink to maintain its fast and economical launch cadence. Qianfan has put out two public procurement requests this year for rocket suppliers but declared them both failures because they didn't receive enough bidders. While there are several Chinese commercial companies working on developing reusable rockets, none are ready for prime time. 'It's possible that in the next couple of years we'll start to see that that bottleneck get resolved, but it's also possible that it remains a pretty substantial bottleneck,' Curcios says. Starlink Alternative Guowang and Qianfan appear to have avoided directly competing with one another so far by targeting different markets. Guowang, which has more central government support, could be tasked with use cases that have a national security element. Taiwan has reportedly received intelligence that China's military drills around the island have been seeking to validate whether Guowang works in the area and can direct Chinese missiles for potential strikes in the West Pacific, according to a report published by The Atlantic Council last month. Qianfan, on the other hand, is positioning itself as a competitor to Starlink for the international market. A map Qianfan representatives presented at a space industry conference in China last year showed it's already working in six markets: Brazil, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. The map also says it's planning to go into two dozen more in 2025, including countries like India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Argentina, and many across Africa. Qianfan may have an easier time winning over international markets as some countries become increasingly wary of Musk's political activities and influence over Starlink. In 2023, for instance, Musk made the decision to restrict Starlink service to Ukraine amid its war with Russia. Starlink's newer satellites are equipped with the ability to provide service to users without their data passing through any local internet gateways, which could also deter some countries who want more control of local internet data. 'As I understand, Qianfan has chosen to not do this, as a way of giving countries more peace of mind with regard to landing traffic locally,' Curcio says. Many telecom firms have also been frustrated with Starlink's decision to work with multiple competing local resellers at the same time. Measat, the Malaysia satellite communications company that signed a preliminary deal with Qianfan in February, was also one of Starlink's first resellers in the country, Curcio says. But Starlink later onboarded more of its competitors and also began offering its products to customers directly, which could have cut into Measat's profits. Qianfan has not announced any direct-to-customer services and is instead providing only local telecom companies with satellite internet capabilities. 'From a commercial angle, if you make a deal with Starlink, it's like making a deal with the devil. Eventually Starlink is going to go behind your back and try to take your customers from you and sell to them directly,' Curcio says.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
6 rockets launched in less than 24 hours! SpaceX and Amazon's Project Kuiper drive new spaceflight record
6 rockets launched in less than 24 hours In an unprecedented surge of space activity, six rockets lifted off from various global launch sites within a span of just 18 hours between April 28 and 29, 2025. This rapid-fire succession of launches set a new record for the most orbital liftoffs in a 24-hour period, highlighting the fast-growing momentum of the global space industry. These missions involved leading players from both government and private sectors, such as the United States, China, the European Space Agency (ESA), SpaceX , Amazon 's Project Kuiper , and Firefly Aerospace. Most of the launches contributed to the expansion of low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband satellite constellations, while others focused on scientific and technological objectives. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the launches, their payloads, and their broader significance. Timeline and overview of the 6 rocket launches 1. China's Long March 5B – Guowang Broadband Satellites Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Launch time : April 28 at 4:10 p.m. EDT (2010 GMT; April 29 at 4:10 a.m. local time) Launch site : Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, Hainan Island, China Payload : Batch of Guowang broadband satellites Objective : Build out China's state-owned LEO broadband megaconstellation The first launch kicked off from China using the Long March 5B rocket, carrying payloads for the Guowang project—a Chinese initiative to establish a national satellite internet system. The constellation is a strategic component of China's broader digital infrastructure ambitions. 2. SpaceX Falcon 9 – Starlink Satellites (Vandenberg) Launch time : April 28, 32 minutes after China's launch (approx. 4:42 p.m. EDT) Launch site : Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA Payload : 27 Starlink satellites Objective : Expand the operational Starlink satellite broadband network Shortly after the Chinese launch, SpaceX deployed another batch of its Starlink satellites, reinforcing its position as the leading commercial satellite internet provider. The Starlink network now spans thousands of satellites in orbit. 3. United Launch Alliance Atlas V – Amazon's Project Kuiper Launch time : April 28 at 7:01 p.m. EDT (2301 GMT) Launch site : Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA Payload : First 27 Project Kuiper satellites Objective : Initiate Amazon's global satellite internet service Marking a major milestone for Amazon, this Atlas V launch was the debut deployment for Project Kuiper. The Kuiper constellation aims to rival Starlink by delivering high-speed internet access globally, especially in underserved regions. 4. SpaceX Falcon 9 – Starlink Satellites (Kennedy Space Center) Launch time : Approximately 10:30 p.m. EDT, April 28 Launch site : NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA Payload : 23 Starlink satellites Objective : Continue Starlink expansion This was the second SpaceX launch of the day, demonstrating the company's exceptional launch cadence. It lifted off just hours after the Project Kuiper mission, further populating the Starlink network with additional operational satellites. 5. Arianespace Vega-C – ESA's Biomass Satellite Launch time : April 29 at 5:15 a.m. EDT (0915 GMT) Launch site : Guiana Space Centre, Kourou, French Guiana Payload : ESA's Biomass forest-monitoring satellite Objective : Earth observation and climate monitoring This mission was part of ESA's Earth Explorer program. The Biomass satellite is designed to provide critical data on global forest biomass and carbon stocks using a P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), offering vital information for environmental and climate studies. 6. Firefly Alpha – Lockheed Martin Technology Demonstrator Launch time : April 29 at 9:37 a.m. EDT (1337 GMT) Launch site : Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA Payload : Lockheed Martin satellite prototype Objective : Test satellite deployment and technology demonstration This sixth launch marked the sixth flight of Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket. Although the liftoff was successful, a malfunction occurred during the separation between the first and second stages, resulting in mission failure and loss of the payload. Significance of the satellite missions Global broadband race intensifies Four of the six launches were directly tied to satellite broadband megaconstellations. These included SpaceX's Starlink, China's Guowang, and Amazon's Kuiper. The urgency to provide fast, global internet access has accelerated satellite production and deployment, leading to frequent and tightly scheduled launches. Scientific advancement The ESA's Biomass satellite serves a non-commercial purpose and emphasizes the importance of using space-based assets to monitor Earth's ecosystems and improve climate modeling. It represents one of the few missions dedicated solely to environmental science in this launch group. New-space players on the rise The participation of Firefly Aerospace underscores the growing presence of smaller commercial space companies aiming to carve out niches in satellite delivery and orbital infrastructure services. While the mission faced a setback, the company's role highlights diversification in space launch capabilities. Record-breaking launch cadence and implications Previous records surpassed The six launches in under 18 hours broke the previous record of four launches within 24 hours. The high tempo reflects improved logistical coordination, rapid rocket reuse capabilities (especially by SpaceX), and the scalability of satellite production lines. Sustained growth expected Industry analysts expect this trend to continue as space-based internet constellations expand and newer missions—both commercial and scientific—continue to crowd the launch calendar. Reusable rockets and modular satellite buses are reducing turnaround times and lowering launch costs. LEO congestion concerns As multiple players add thousands of satellites to low Earth orbit, concerns over orbital congestion and space debris management are intensifying. Coordination between governments and private companies through bodies like the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is becoming increasingly critical. Also read | Airtel recharge plans | Jio recharge plans | BSNL recharge plans
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New record! 6 rockets launch in less than 24 hours
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The past day has been a whirlwind for space fans. Six different rockets launched toward orbit in a dizzying stretch of 18 hours, topping by two the previous record for most liftoffs in a 24-hour span. The action started in China on Monday (April 28) at 4:10 p.m. EDT (2010 GMT; 4:10 a.m. on April 29 local time), when a Long March 5B rocket sent a batch of satellites for the Guowang broadband megaconstellation to low Earth orbit (LEO) from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island. Thirty-two minutes later, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 27 of the company's Starlink internet craft to LEO. Then, at 7:01 p.m. EDT (2301 GMT) the same day, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched the first 27 satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband megaconstellation from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Another Falcon 9 flew from the Space Coast about 3.5 hours later, lofting 23 Starlink satellites from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, which is next door to the Space Force facility. Let's pause for a moment here to catch our breath, and to take stock: On Monday, four rockets launched from four different sites — one in China, two in Florida and one in California — within a span of approximately 6.5 hours. All of them were successful, and all were devoted to building out LEO broadband constellations, one of which is already established and operational (Starlink) and two of which are just getting off the ground (Guowang and Project Kuiper). Related: Starlink satellite train: how to see and track it in the night sky Related stories: — Vega-C rocket launches European forest-monitoring 'Biomass' satellite to orbit (video) — Brand-new Falcon 9 rocket sends 23 Starlink satellites to orbit on SpaceX's 2nd launch of the day (video) — Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket suffers 'mishap' during launch of prototype Lockheed Martin satellite (video) But that's not all. Two more liftoffs occurred on Tuesday morning (April 29), neither of which carried internet satellites. At 5:15 a.m. EDT (0915 GMT), an Arianespace Vega-C rocket successfully launched the European Space Agency's Biomass forest-monitoring satellite to LEO from Kourou, French Guiana. It was the fourth-ever launch for the Vega-C, and its second since an anomaly caused a mission failure in December of 2022. Then, at 9:37 a.m. EDT (1337 GMT) on Tuesday, Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket took to the skies for the sixth time ever, rising off a pad at Vandenberg with a Lockheed Martin satellite technology demonstrator on board. But things didn't go as planned; a mishap occurred during the separation of Alpha's first and second stages, and the payload was lost. To sum up: We just saw six orbital launches in about 17.5 hours, five of them successful. That's some unprecedented action, but it may well be a taste of things to come: With SpaceX already launching multiple times per week and several other broadband megaconstellations under construction, we should expect the rockets to keep flying at a blistering pace.
NZ Herald
29-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Amazon launches first Starlink-rival internet satellites
Pricing has not yet been revealed, but Amazon has pledged it will align with its reputation as a low-cost retailer. 'Atlas V is on its way to orbit to take those 27 Kuiper satellites, put them on their way, and really start this new era in internet connectivity,' said ULA's Caleb Weiss. With Monday's launch, Amazon formally enters a crowded and fast-growing field that includes not just Starlink but other emerging players in the satellite internet race. SpaceX launched the first batch of Starlink satellites in 2019 and now boasts more than 6750 operational units, serving over five million customers worldwide – by far the sector's dominant force. Starlink has also provided crucial internet access in disaster and war zones, including Morocco after its devastating 2023 earthquake and on the frontlines in Ukraine's war against Russia. Amazon plans to accelerate launches in the coming months and years, with more than 80 flights booked through United Launch Alliance (a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture), France's Arianespace, Bezos' own Blue Origin, and even Musk's SpaceX. Its satellites will gradually join the swelling ranks of low Earth orbit, alongside Starlink, Europe's OneWeb, and China's Guowang constellation. The increasing crowding of this orbital neighbourhood has sparked concerns about congestion, potential collisions, and disruptions to astronomical observations. The expanding role of private companies in space has also raised thorny political questions, especially as Musk's influence stretches beyond business into politics and diplomacy. Musk has sent mixed signals on Starlink's future role in Ukraine, where it remains vital to Kyiv's war effort – a conflict that Musk ally US President Donald Trump has vowed to bring to an end.
