With one rocket launch, twelve satellites shine together. This marks a glorious moment in the history of China’s commercial space industry.
▲ The sixth satellite of the Geely constellation was successfully launched using the1rocket12satellite method
On September 24, 2025, at 15:56, in the waters off Rizhao, Shandong, the Long March rocket roared into the sky, accurately sending the12 satellites of the sixth orbital plane of the Geely constellation into their designated orbits. Thus, within two months, the Geely constellation achieved a “triple launch,” bringing the total number of satellites in orbit to64, successfully completing the first phase of network deployment. This marks the official establishment of China’s first low-orbit satellite constellation led by a private enterprise with scalable application capabilities, representing a significant achievement for the “private sector” in China’s commercial space industry, transitioning from gazing at the stars to truly integrating into the sea of stars.
“Breaking Through the Sky” – A Heavyweight Entry for Private Space
Space has long been the exclusive stage for the “national team.” However, the scarcity of low-orbit resources and spectrum has triggered a global “land grab” in space. Geely Holding Group, through its subsidiary Time Space Path, has strategically entered the field, demonstrating the ambition and strength of private enterprises to participate in national-level major infrastructure construction.
The success of the first phase of the network not only means that both the satellites in orbit and the network reliability have achieved100%, achieving global real-time communication coverage except for the polar regions, but also heralds the beginning of a new era: private enterprises have become an efficient, pragmatic, and indispensable innovative force in China’s space industry. This confidence is backed by Geely’s nearly11 years of over250 billion yuan in R&D investment and more than30,000 R&D personnel’s long-term dedication, marking a solid implementation of its technology ecosystem strategy from “car manufacturing” to “satellite manufacturing.”
Unlike the high-bandwidth “satellite internet,” the Geely constellation precisely targets the “satellite IoT” (Sat-IoT), focusing on low power consumption, small data volume, and high reliability communication services. This differentiated strategy of “doing what is necessary and not doing what is unnecessary” avoids direct competition with giants and quickly opens up its own blue ocean market by addressing actual industry pain points.
▲ Geely Constellation
“Manufacturing Satellites Like Cars” – Breaking Traditional Manufacturing and Solving Network Bottlenecks
The core bottleneck of large-scale constellation construction lies in the mass production and low-cost manufacturing of satellites. The breakthrough for the Geely constellation comes from its complete innovation of the traditional satellite production model.
Located in Taizhou Bay, Zhejiang, the Geely Satellite Super Factory is the world’s first satellite mass production base that deeply integrates aerospace and automotive manufacturing processes. Here, the industrial genes of automotive manufacturing have been successfully implanted into aerospace manufacturing: digital management, modular design, automated production lines… The satellite production cycle has been compressed to28 days, with an annual production capacity of up to500 satellites, and costs reduced by approximately45%. This “manufacturing satellites like cars” industrial system provides core support for rapid network deployment and offers a “Chinese solution” for the large-scale development of global commercial space.
From constellation design, satellite self-research, mass production, measurement and control, to communication chips and terminal modules, Time Space Path has achieved full-stack self-research and a closed-loop of the entire industry chain. This vertical integration capability ensures technological independence, cost control, and rapid iteration, exploring a profitable and sustainable development path for China’s commercial space.
From “Going to Space” to “Entering the Warehouse” – Empowering Various Industries
The value of technology lies in its application. The vitality of the Geely constellation stems from its clear, diverse, and already scaled commercial scenarios.
Domestically, it has deeply cooperated with partners such as China Unicom, Zoomlion, and Cao Cao Mobility. The “satellite+ intelligent networking” allows Geely, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co models to remain “always connected” even in areas without ground signals; “satellite+ engineering machinery” achieves remote precise control of large equipment; and the potential in fields such as “satellite+ transportation logistics” and “satellite+ marine fisheries” is enormous.
Crucially, it is empowering the Cao Cao Intelligent Mobility Robotaxi fleet, providing reliable satellite communication links for autonomous driving in network blind spots, reinforcing safety. Additionally, from the Hangzhou Asian Games to the Harbin Winter Universiade and the Chengdu World University Games, the Geely constellation frequently appears, providing high-precision positioning and emergency communication support for international events.
▲ Geely Constellation empowering intelligent connected vehicles
China’s Commercial Space Industry’s Global Business Card
The vision of the Geely constellation is inherently global. Relying on the flexible mechanisms of private enterprises, Time Space Path actively ventures abroad, focusing on emerging markets with weak communication infrastructure.
Currently, its collaborations span over20 countries worldwide, including Oman, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and Morocco. In Oman, it empowers fisheries, and in Malaysia, it promotes smart agriculture… This series of collaborations not only represents commercial success but also vividly demonstrates the global reach of Chinese commercial space technology, standards, and models, becoming an important window to showcase China’s technological confidence and open cooperation.
“National Team” and “Private Team” Collaborate to Outline the Blueprint for a Strong Space Nation
“National Team” and “Private Team” Collaborate to Outline the Blueprint for a Strong Space Nation
The rise of the Geely constellation does not replace but rather complements the “national team” strategically. Our country focuses on broadband access with the “GW constellation” acting like a “space highway,” while the Geely constellation serves as the “capillary” that penetrates industry applications, collaboratively building a more extensive and capable “integrated air and space” network.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s release of the “Guiding Opinions on Optimizing Business Access to Promote the Development of the Satellite Communication Industry” in August 2025 is driving satellite communication towards an upgrade to “strategic infrastructure.” The success of the Geely constellation is the best response to this policy, proving the unique value of private capital in activating the industrial chain, innovating models, and expanding applications, solidifying the foundation of the “new infrastructure” alongside the “national team.”
Phase Two Deployment Imminent – The Dawn of the Space Economy
The first phase of the network is just the prologue. According to the plan, the Geely constellation will ultimately deploy72 satellites, achieving even stronger3-4 redundancy coverage. As capabilities improve, it will unleash greater potential in the fields of IoT, industrial internet, and low-altitude economy.
The success of the Geely constellation marks China’s commercial space industry transitioning from the “manufacturing” centered1.0 era to the “application” driven2.0 era. It is not only the pillar of Geely’s “integrated air and space” intelligent travel ecosystem but also sounds the horn for China’s private commercial space industry to fully participate in global space economy competition. Gazing at the stars while keeping our feet on the ground, this vast sea of stars will surely welcome more Chinese enterprises.
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Reviewed by: Qi XiaolingEdited by: Ma YanTypeset by: Jin Feng
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