Beijing, Jul 26: China has begun deploying its first commercial satellite network aimed at monitoring space debris and conducting round-the-clock all-orbit target detection.
Space debris refers to any defunct, human-made object orbiting Earth that no longer serves a functional purpose. As the number of rocket launches, planetary missions and satellite deployments continues to rise, so does the amount of space debris.
The first of the 120-satellite Gande Constellation, equipped with an onboard artificial intelligence-assisted computer, was launched on Friday aboard a Lijian-1 commercial rocket from northwest China, in a move expected to enhance the country’s space traffic management capabilities, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The launch comes as several countries and private companies, including the US-based SpaceX with its Starlink network and US space surveillance programmes, are expanding orbital monitoring and satellite constellations, while China seeks to emerge as a leading global space power by 2035.
China’s constellation of satellites is expected to improve collision avoidance, safeguard its expanding commercial satellite fleets, strengthen its independent space situational awareness and provide commercial services. They also aim to enhance the country’s civil and military capabilities in an increasingly congested and contested space environment.
Friday’s launch filled a gap in China’s commercial space-based debris monitoring capability and marks “a key step in space traffic management”, Fan Wei, chief engineer of the constellation, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The constellation is planned in three phases, with full deployment targeted before 2030.
The first phase, designated LX630, will comprise 14 satellites. They are designed to support comprehensive monitoring and cataloguing of objects across low-Earth orbit, Xinhua reported.
According to the developers, the onboard AI-assisted computer will enable the satellites to carry out routine surveillance, emergency response and rapid tracking missions with minimal ground intervention.
The satellites will also have orbital transfer capability, allowing close-range observation and other advanced in-orbit operations, they said.
Analysts say the commercial space debris monitoring constellation is more than a safety initiative.
Last year, China’s Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft experienced an extended stay at the Tiangong space station after the viewport window of its return capsule was struck by space debris during the mission.
In 2024, the Shenzhou-17 crew carried out two spacewalks to repair the space station’s core module solar arrays, which had also been damaged by orbital debris.
According to Xinhua, the number of space debris fragments larger than one centimetre — considered large enough to pose a potential threat to spacecraft — has exceeded one million. Travelling at a speed of around 7.9km per second, these fragments carry enormous kinetic energy on impact.
While scientists continue to improve spacecraft shielding against debris strikes, they are also stepping up space debris monitoring efforts, with the Gande Constellation representing China’s latest initiative in this field.
