Chinese researchers are preparing a plan to launch nearly 13,000 satellites into low Earth orbit to compact and be able to monitor the Starlink network.
Starlink first launched in 2019 and provides satellite internet access to 50 countries.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries 60 Starlink satellites into space
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 60 Starlink satellites was launched from the Kennedy Space Center (United States) on October 6, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images).
According to the RT television channel, The project is called GW Led by Professor Xu Can of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Space Engineering University in Beijing. China Satellite Network Corporation will provide the 12th launch. The 992 satellites in orbit are designed to improve communications efficiency.
Although the satellite launch schedule has not yet been revealed, Associate Professor Xu’s team said they plan to deploy it before the Starlink network is completed. The move will secure China a place in low orbit and prevent Starlink satellites from overexploiting low-orbit resources, the researchers added.
The number of GW satellites is expected to exceed Starlink’s current total of around 3,500 satellites. Previously, SpaceX Group planned to launch 12,000 devices by 2027 and the final number it hopes will reach 42,000 devices.
According to Xu and his colleagues, China will place its satellites in orbits that Starlink satellites have not yet reached. This will help China’s satellite network obtain many opportunities and advantages at other orbital altitudes, even preventing Starlink. The research team added that the GW network could also be equipped with technology to enable long-term monitoring of Starlink satellites.
Associate Professor Xu’s team also suggested that the Chinese government could form an anti-Starlink alliance with many other governments to demand that SpaceX release precise orbital data from Starlink satellites.
In the past, Chinese military officials have expressed concerns about the national security implications of SpaceX’s satellites and have called for the development of destructive technology to destroy SpaceX’s satellite operating systems if necessary.
China’s efforts to block Starlink come amid growing concerns about the global satellite network’s potential military applications. The Internet network provided by Starlink was used to improve communications for Ukrainian military forces during the conflict with Russia. In early February, SpaceX took a series of measures aimed at limiting the use of Internet features to control military drones in Ukraine.
Article source: News Journal
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