Six new comms satellites enter low-Earth orbit

China launched six small communication satellites on Saturday afternoon, which are tasked with establishing the country's first low-orbit, broadband internet network.

Designed and built by the Beijing-based private satellite maker GalaxySpace, the satellites were carried into low-Earth orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers by a Long March 2C rocket that blasted off at 2:01 pm from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, according to a statement from the company.

Each of the six satellites weighs about 190 kilograms, and has a large transmission capacity of 40 gigabytes per second over multiple bands.

They will work with GalaxySpace 1 — launched in January 2020 — to form an experimental communication network called the "Mini Spider Constellation" to verify broadband internet technologies.

The experimental network will give users 30-minute, nonstop access to broadband internet each time they connect terminals like mobile phones and laptops to the satellite system through ground-based gateway stations, according to engineers.

Widely considered the country's first 5G-capable satellite, GalaxySpace 1 has conducted numerous in-orbit tests with ground stations, extensively advancing the research and development of satellite-based internet technology.

It remains in operation in orbit and is China's most powerful low-orbiting communication satellite, as well as the biggest spacecraft ever built by a private Chinese company.

In the near future, GalaxySpace aims to build a commercial satellite system in low-Earth orbit with global coverage that offers broadband internet and other communication services.