Geely launches 9 satellites into low Earth orbit

MANILA: Geespace, a Geely Technology Group subsidiary and China's first privately owned developer, operator, and mass producer of low-orbit commercial satellites, has successfully launched its first nine satellites into low Earth orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China.

The first nine GeeSAT-1 satellites have been connected and are all operating properly after launch, according to Geespace's terrestrial base station in Korla, China. The "Geely Future Mobility Constellation" is a planned constellation of 240 satellites, with the first phase of 72 satellites expected to be in orbit by 2025. The second phase will follow, with 168 satellites.

The GeeSAT-1 satellites are China's first scalable, high-resilience, high-performance, mass-produced low-orbit satellites. They will provide centimeter-level precise location and connectivity support for utilization by car brands in the Geely Holding group, facilitating true, safe autonomous driving by connecting vehicles with vehicles and infrastructure with vehicles.

The sustainably built satellites have a five-year lifespan while in orbit, after which they will launch themselves into the earth's atmosphere and dissolve without producing any space debris.

With the successful launch of its first satellites, Geespace is now one of the world's first providers of combined commercial Precise Point Positioning and Real-Time Kinematic services (PPP-RTK).

Among the applications planned for the future are collaborating with logistics partners to develop the first one-stop logistics monitoring service platform with real-time management and control of the transportation process and helping preserve the environment with Geely Holding's "Blue Guardian" corporate social responsibility (CSR) project by analyzing maritime water quality and classifying debris patches to be cleaned. The company will also provide high-precision positioning, remote sensing, and satellite communication services for the upcoming Asian Games.

Geespace's satellite constellation is run and maintained by a network of ground stations across China, including Qingdao, Taizhou, Korla, Chengdu, and Harbin. Service coverage will initially be limited to the Chinese market and the Asia-Pacific region, with plans to extend to the rest of the world after 2026.

In a statement, Geespace Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientist Tony Wang said, “Many favorable factors such as policy support and market demand are accelerating the growth of the commercial aerospace sector. By establishing the Geely Future Mobility Constellation, Geespace is positioning itself to meet future user demands for high-precision positioning, space-based communication, and remote sensing services. In addition, by offering Geespace’s expertise and capabilities in commercial satellite production, AIT services, and satellite support infrastructure services to customers, new opportunities to develop have been opened in various sectors including smart mobility, consumer electronics, unmanned systems, smart cities, and environmental protection.”

With research and development centers in Shanghai, Xi'an, and Nanjing, operations centers in Guangzhou and Qingdao, business development centers in Beijing and Taizhou, and a highly automated intelligent satellite testing and manufacturing facility in Taizhou, Geespace has created a full industrial chain for the innovation, production, and execution of satellites since its establishment in 2018.

Geely's Intelligent Satellite Production and Testing Center commenced mass production of commercial satellites last September, with a capacity of 500 units per year. Geespace is able to create high-quality, easily configurable satellites using intelligent modular manufacturing to suit the growing global demand for commercial satellites. The GeeSAT-1 is the first of many new satellite models from Geespace, and its successful launch into orbit is only the beginning.

Photos from Geely

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