Commercial aerospace sector taking off to meet rising demand

Commercial aerospace is one of the hottest growth areas in China's private sector, and Beijing-based space startup Commsat Technology Development Co is working to grab emerging business opportunities.

In December, it launched seven mini-satellites into space, in a bid to test internet of things technology and fulfill tasks such as monitoring oil and gas pipelines and wildlife protection, as it can provide positioning services and collect information such as temperature and humidity readings.

With a total investment of 50 million yuan ($7.45 million) and a research and development period of more than one year, the seven low-Earth orbit satellites have a life span of around two years, like other commercial satellites, according to the company.