China to Launch 200,000 Satellites for ‘Mega-Constellation’
January 20th, 2026Via: Daily Mail:
China has applied to launch almost 200,000 satellites into space, sparking concerns that the nation seeks to build a ‘mega-constellation’.
On December 29, a newly formed body called the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation filed applications for two satellite constellations.
Each of these enormous collections of spacecraft, dubbed CTC-1 and CTC-2, would contain 96,714 satellites spread over 3,660 different orbits.
If completed, China’s new mega-constellation would dwarf even SpaceX’s bold ambition to put 49,000 Starlink satellites in orbit.
Together, CTC-1 and CTC-2 would be the largest assembly of satellites ever put in orbit, and would effectively lock competitors out of a region of low-Earth orbit.
With Chinese authorities remaining quiet about the satellites’ intended use, experts have raised concerns that the constellation may pose a security or defence threat.
As reported by China in Space, the Nanjing University of Aeronautics claims that the satellites will focus on: ‘Low-altitude electromagnetic space security, integrated security defence systems, electromagnetic space security assessment of airspace, and low-altitude airspace safety supervision services.’
This suggests the constellations may play a similar role to the SpaceX Starshield satellites used by the US military for secure tracking and communications.
