China submitted filings covering more than 200,000 satellites in the final week of December 2025, setting a new record for proposed space constellations and underscoring the accelerating global competition for low-Earth orbit (LEO) and radio spectrum resources, according to data released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).<\/p>\n
The filings were dominated by two proposed constellations, known as CTC-1 and CTC-2, each listing 96,714 satellites. Together, they account for more than 190,000 satellites, making them the largest constellation filings ever submitted to the ITU.<\/p>\n
Both filings were made by the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation, a national research institute that was newly registered in Hebei Province in December 2025, according to ITU records. In addition to the two mega-constellations, other Chinese entities filed for smaller satellite networks ranging from a handful of spacecraft to several thousand.<\/p>\n
LEO satellites typically operate at altitudes between about 200 and 2,000 kilometres and are widely used for low-latency, high-bandwidth communications. However, the rapid growth in planned constellations has raised concerns over orbital congestion and spectrum coordination, making early regulatory filings increasingly important.<\/p>\n
Chinese firms are among the most active participants in the global race to deploy large LEO networks. Shanghai Spacesail Technologies has said it plans to deploy about 15,000 satellites by 2030, while China Satellite Network Group has outlined plans for a constellation of roughly 13,000 satellites. Official data from Beijing\u2019s Fengtai District Bureau of Technology and Information Technology show China had filed for more than 51,300 satellites as of August 2024, before the latest submissions.<\/p>\n
The surge in Chinese filings comes as other countries also expand their space ambitions. On Jan. 9, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved SpaceX\u2019s request to deploy an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, bringing the total number of authorised Gen2 Starlink spacecraft to around 15,000. SpaceX has previously outlined a long-term plan to scale its Starlink network to as many as 42,000 satellites.<\/p>\n
Under ITU regulations, filings alone do not guarantee long-term rights. \u201cOperating agencies must bring a required number of satellites into use within specified time frames or risk losing their associated spectrum and orbital rights,\u201d the rules state.<\/p>\n
The record-breaking submissions highlight how spectrum access and orbital slots are becoming strategic assets, as governments and companies alike position themselves for the next phase of space-based communications.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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