Guowang

Guowang (Chinese: 国网; pinyin: Guówǎng; lit. 'national network')[1], officially Satellite Internet Series Satellites (Chinese: 卫星互联网系列卫星; pinyin: Wèixīng hùliánwǎng xìliè wèixīng)[2] is a Chinese low-Earth orbit satellite internet megaconstellation to create a system of worldwide internet coverage. It was created by CASIC, a firm backed by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST). The project was started in 2022 as a rival to the Starlink satellite constellation installed by SpaceX, and plans to be constituted of over 13,000 satellites by the project's end.

Around 6,000 of the planned satelites are expected to orbit between 500 and 600km, comparable to Starlink, and around 7,000 in a higher orbit at around 1,145km.[3] All satelites launched so far have been placed either in the higher orbits of the second group at around 1.145km, or in an orbit around 900km.

Since April 2025, the program has launched 14 experimental series (术试验系列; jìshù shìyàn) satellites[4] and 57 operational satellites[5][6], divided into high Earth orbit (高轨; gāoguǐ) and low Earth orbit (低轨; dīguǐ) series.[7]

Launch statistics

Satellite Launched

10
20
30
40
50
60
Q4 24'
Q1 '25
Q2 '25
Q3 '25
  •   Launch failure
  •   Launch success
  •   Planned

List of launches

Operational satellites

Name & group of satellites Number of satelites Launch (UTC) Orbit Orbital apsis Inclination SCN COSPAR ID Launch site Launcher Status
Hulianwang 1 - 10 (SatNet LEO Group 01)[8] 10 16 December 2024
10:00
Polar 1,167km perigee; 1,169km apogee 86.5° 62323 to 62332 2024-240A to 2024-240H; 2024-240J; 2024-240K [9] WSLS LC-1 Long March 5B / YZ-2
Y6
Operational
Hulianwang 11 - 19 (SatNet LEO Group 02)[10] 9 11 February 2025

09:30

LEO 1,149km perigee; 1,150km apogee 50.0° WSLS LC-2 Long March 8A
Y1
Operational
Hulianwang 20 - 29 (SatNet LEO Group 03)[11] 10 28 April 2025
20:10
Polar 1,166km perigee; 1,169km apogee 86.5° WSLS LC-1 Long March 5B / YZ-2
Y7
Operational
Hulianwang 30 - 34 (SatNet LEO Group 04)[12] 5 6 June 2025
20:45
Polar 86.5° Taiyuan LA-9A Long March 6A
Y8
Operational
Hulianwang 35 - 39 (SatNet LEO Group 05)[13] 5 27 July 2025
10:04
Polar 86.5° Taiyuan LA-9A Long March 6A
Y14
Operational
Hulianwang 40 - 48 (SatNet LEO Group 06)[14][15] 9 30 July 2025
07:49
LEO 50.0° WCSLS LC-1 Long March 8A
Y3
Operational
Hulianwang 49 - 57 (SatNet LEO Group 07)[16] 9 4 August 2025
10:21
LEO 50.0° WCSLS LC-2 Long March 12
Y2
Operational
Hulianwang 58 - 67 (SatNet LEO Group 08)[17] 10 13 August 2025
06:00
Polar WSLS LC-1 Long March 5B / YZ-2
Y8
Success
Hulianwang 68 - 72 (SatNet LEO Group 09)[18] 5 17 August 2025
14:15
Polar Taiyuan LA-9A Long March 6A
Y10
Success
Hulianwang 73 - 81 (SatNet LEO Group 10)[19] 9 25 August 2025
Polar WCSLS LC-1 Long March 8A
Y2
Planned
Hulianwang (SatNet LEO Group TBD)[20] 5 7 September 2025
Polar Taiyuan LA-9A Long March 6A
Y
Planned
Name Number of Satellites Launch (UTC) Orbit Orbital apsis Inclination SCN COSPAR ID Launch site Launcher Status
Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 1A, B[21] 2 9 July 2023
11:00
LEO JSLC SLS-2 Long March 2C / YZ-1S
Y52
Operational
Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 2A, B, C[22] 3 23 November 2023
10:00
LEO XSLC LC-3 Long March 2D / YZ-3
Y59
Operational
Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 3A[23] 1 5 December 2023
19:24
LEO Bo Run Jiu Zhou platform, Yellow Sea Jielong 3
Y2
Operational
Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 4A, B, C[24] 3 30 December 2023
00:13
LE0 JSLC SLS-2 Long March 2C / YZ-1S
Y73
Operational
Hulianwang Gaogui 01[25] 1 29 February 2024
13:03
GEO XSLC LC-2 Long March 3B/E
Y95
Operational
Hulianwang Gaogui 02[26] 1 01 August 2024
13:14
GEO XSLC LC-2 Long March 3B/E
Y97
Operational
Hulianwang Gaogui 03[27] 1 10 October 2024
13:50
GEO XSLC LC-2 Long March 3B/E
Y100
Operational
Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 5A[28] 1 30 November 2024
14:25
LEO WCSLS LC-2 Long March 12
Y1
Operational
Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 6A, B, C, D[29] 4 1 April 2025
04:00
LEO JSLC SLS-2 Long March 2D
Y78
Operational
Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan [30] 4 15 August 2025
01:17
LEO JSLC LS-96 Zhuque-2E
Y3
Launch Failure

See also

References

  1. ^ https://spacenews.com/china-is-developing-plans-for-a-13000-satellite-communications-megaconstellation
  2. ^ Baptista, Eduardo (August 6, 2024). "China will launch first satellites of constellation to rival Starlink, newspaper reports". Reuters. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  3. ^ https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5004/1
  4. ^ "Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan (WHJSW)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  5. ^ "HWD (Huliangwang Weixing Digui) (Type 1)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  6. ^ "HWD (Huliangwang Weixing Digui) (Type 2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  7. ^ "HG 01". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Long March 5B/YZ-2 - SatNet LEO Group 01". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  9. ^ https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?GROUP=hulianwang&FORMAT=tle
  10. ^ "Long March 8A - SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight)". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  11. ^ "Long March 5B/YZ-2 - SatNet LEO Group 03". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  12. ^ "Long March 6A - SatNet LEO Group 04". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Long March 6A - SatNet LEO Group 05". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  14. ^ "Long March 8A - SatNet LEO Group TBD". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  15. ^ https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7835
  16. ^ "Long March 12 - SatNet LEO Group TBD". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  17. ^ "Long March 5B/YZ-2 - SatNet LEO Group 08". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  18. ^ "Long March 6A - SatNet LEO Group 09". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Long March 8A - SatNet LEO Group 10". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Long March 6A - SatNet LEO Group TBD". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Long March 2C/YZ-1S - 2 x SatNet test satellites". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  22. ^ "Long March 2D/YZ-3 - 3 x SatNet test satellites". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  23. ^ "Jielong 3 - SatNet test satellites". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  24. ^ "Long March 2C/YZ-1S - 3 x SatNet test satellites". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  25. ^ "Long March 3B/E - WHG-01". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  26. ^ "Long March 3B/E - WHG-02". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  27. ^ "Long March 3B/E - WHG-03". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  28. ^ "Long March 12 - Demo Flight". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  29. ^ "Long March 2D - 4 x SatNet test satellites". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  30. ^ "Zhuque-2E - Unknown Payload". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 1 March 2025.