CASIC Plans to Launch 156 Small Satellites for the Hongyun Program
On March 31st, it is learned from the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation's plan for its Hongyun Program that it plans to launch 156 satellites orbiting at 1,000 km altitude and the full constellation can provide broadband Internet access basically covering the globe.
As introduced by person in charge of the program, this marks China's first try to initiate a low-orbit broadband Internet access system based on small satellites. The combination set of "small satellites", "low orbit" and "broadband" caters to the needs for commercial development.
Ren Beichao, Deputy Director of the Aerospace Engineering General Department of the 2nd Academy of the CASIC, said that "it serves as a universal satellite platform, just like a car chassis, based on which you could make whether a military vehicle, a private car or a taxi. But the first chassis is the basis and premise."
Ren suggested that small satellites are ready for mass production and product replacement at low cost. Low orbit with the capacity to avoid signal propagation delay can keep users’ terminals small. The employment of band frequency ranging between 26.5 and 40GHz for satellite communications business helps maximize the network access rate.
The Hongyun Program has been planned to take three steps. The first step is to launch the first technical verification satellite by 2018 years ago to verify the key technologies for single satellite. The second step is expected to be taken by the end of the 13th Five-year Plan (2020) by launching four experimentation satellites to form a small constellation and provide basic business experience for clients. The third step expects to complete the constellation of all 156 satellites operating as a constellation by the end of the 14th Five-year Plan (2025).
The CASIC has previously launched the TK-1 satellite as a pathfinder for the three-step plan and the orderly implementation of other scheduled follow-up plans. As technologies mature, this small platform can complete integration, testing, launch and application in a short period.