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Interface News reporter | Ma Yueran

The first batch of satellites of China's version of "Starlink" were successfully launched.

Interface News learned from Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Yuanxin Satellite) that at 14:42 on August 6, at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, the Long March 6 modified carrier rocket successfully launched the first batch of 18 commercial networking satellites of the Qianfan constellation. The satellites successfully entered the predetermined orbit and the launch mission was a complete success.

This launch is the 7th launch of the Long March 6 modified carrier rocket, the 214th flight test of the Long March series of rockets developed by Shanghai Aerospace, and the 530th launch of China's Long March series of carrier rockets.

Image source: Shanghai Aerospace Public Account

The first batch of 18 commercial networking satellites of Qianfan constellation are the first batch of the first generation of satellites (GEN1 satellites) of Yuanxin Satellite's sail constellation. Qianfan constellation will provide global users with low-latency, high-speed and high-reliability satellite (broadband) Internet services.

Satellite Internet refers to the formation of a large-scale network by launching a certain number of satellites, radiating across the globe and capable of providing communication services such as broadband Internet access to ground and air terminals. It is the carrier of international information transmission channels.

Satellites in orbits of different altitudes have different performances. Low-orbit satellites refer to satellites that orbit about 160-2000 kilometers from the earth's surface. With advantages such as low latency, high bandwidth, and low cost, low-orbit satellites have become the best choice for satellite Internet in recent years, and are also an important part of the space-air integration of 6G NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks).

Image source: CITIC Construction Investment

Currently, the most competitive low-orbit satellite Internet constellation in the world is StarLink of SpaceX in the United States. It is the low-orbit constellation system with the largest number of satellites in orbit, the fastest launch speed, and the greatest technological changes.

Since 2019, StarLink has launched more than 6,000 satellites, serving more than 80 countries and regions. In May this year, Musk announced that StarLink's global users have exceeded 3 million.

The Qianfan Constellation Project is led by Songjiang District, Shanghai, and will be officially launched in 2021. Yuanxin Satellite will be responsible for its construction and operation. The constellation plan will send more than 15,000 satellites into orbit, eventually covering the world's broadband network needs.

The construction of the Qianfan constellation is progressing in an orderly manner, and it is planned to complete the launch and networking operation of at least 108 satellites this year.

According to CCTV News, by the end of 2030, the "Thousand Sails Constellation" is planned to eventually build a network of more than 10,000 low-orbit broadband multimedia satellites.

Lu Ben, senior vice president of Yuanxin Satellite, said that the first phase of the Qianfan constellation will consist of 1,296 satellites, which will have the ability to connect globally, complete global coverage, and provide all-round and diversified commercial services. In the future, the altitude of satellite construction will be reduced from more than 1,000 kilometers in the first phase to 300-500 kilometers, closer to the earth's surface, capable of providing more advanced applications such as direct mobile phone connections and broadband and narrowband Internet of Things, and more abundant low-orbit satellite Internet services will be developed at different orbital altitudes.

Founded in 2018, Yuanxin Satellite focuses on commercial low-orbit satellite internet. In February this year, Yuanxin Satellite completed a 6.7 billion yuan Series A financing, setting a new record for a single round of financing in the history of commercial aerospace.

This year, Yuanxin Satellite Network will also enter the first year of formal demonstration and commercial use. Previously, Zhuang Xiaoqi, vice president of Yuanxin Satellite, told Jiemian News that he hopes to build a new market-oriented aerospace industry chain system for China through large-scale constellation construction, leading China's aerospace industry into a large-scale, civilian, quantified and popular development stage.

Shanghai is actively promoting the construction of the commercial aerospace industry. In 2016, the Songjiang Municipal Government of Shanghai proposed the idea of ​​building the "G60" science and technology innovation corridor. The satellite Internet industry is one of the key projects of the digital economy innovation industry cluster, and thus incubated the development of the upstream and downstream industrial chains of Qianfan Constellation.

Shanghai has made it clear that it will accelerate the formation of an industrial chain from rockets, satellites, ground stations to terminals, achieve a space information industry scale of 200 billion yuan by 2025, achieve an annual output of 50 commercial rockets and 600 commercial satellites, and focus on the development of "Shanghai Star" and "Shanghai Arrow".

In November 2021, the "G60 Starlink" Industrial Base was launched in Songjiang. The industrial base was jointly built by Songjiang District, Lianhe Investment, and Lingang Group. It will build the first satellite manufacturing "lighthouse factory" in the Yangtze River Delta.

The first phase of the "G60 Starlink" industrial base covers an area of ​​120 mu and a construction area of ​​200,000 square meters. It will build a digital satellite manufacturing factory, a satellite in-orbit measurement and control center, and a satellite Internet operation center. Among them, the satellite factory's design capacity will reach 300 satellites per year, and the cost of a single satellite will drop by 35%.

On December 27 last year, the satellite digital factory operated by Gess Aerospace officially went into production and rolled off the first commercial satellite. In April this year, Cao Jin, general manager of Gess Aerospace, revealed in an interview with Jiemian News that according to the plan, the factory will produce hundreds of commercial satellites annually in the future, all of which will be used in the Qianfan Constellation Plan planned by Yuanxin Satellite.

The satellite Internet industry chain specifically covers areas such as satellite manufacturing, satellite launch (rocket manufacturing), ground equipment, and satellite operation services.

Influenced by the news of the launch of the Qianfan constellation of Yuanxin Satellite, Wind shows that the commercial space index has continued to strengthen since late July, with a cumulative increase of more than 15% in more than half a month.

As of the close of August 6, the Wind Commercial Space Index rose 2.2%.

Among the related concept stocks, Yaguang Technology (300123.SZ) rose 11.3% to close at 5.32 yuan/share, Aerospace Rainbow (002389.SZ) rose 10.01% to close at 15.06 yuan/share, Aerospace Power (600343.SH) rose 9.99% to close at 9.25 yuan/share, Xindonglianke (688582.SH) rose 9.37%, and Blue Shield Optoelectronics (300862.SZ) rose 8.13%.

According to a research report by CITIC Securities, it is recommended to pay attention to upstream companies in the industry chain, including China Satellite (600118.SH), Shanghai Hanxun (300762.SZ), Jiayuan Technology (301117.SZ), Guoguang Electric (688776.SH), Aerospace Huanyu (688523.SH), Zhenlei Technology (68827.SH), Chengchang Technology (001270.SZ), Hangyu Micro (300053.SZ), etc. Midstream companies include China Satellite Communications (601698.SH), Haige Communication (002465.SZ), Zhenxin Technology (300101.SZ), etc. Downstream companies include China Science and Technology Star Map (688568.SH), Tianao Electronics (002935.SZ), etc.