The First “Hubei-Made” Space-based IoT Starts and Plans to Launch 80 Small Satellites

On March 15, the construction of the first “Hubei-made” space-based Internet of Thing starts and plans to launch 80 small cloud satellites, aiming to establish a space-based LoT that covers the globe in three phases.

This is what Hubei Aerospace Xingyun Technology Co., Ltd. announces to the public at its unveiling ceremony on March 15 concerning the construction plan of the space-based Internet of Things.

According to reports, Xingyun Company was established in Wuhan on December 26, 2017 with a registered capital of 300 million yuan. It is co-funded and designed by 10 shareholders including China Aerospace Sanjiang Group Co., Ltd., the Rocket Company under China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp, General Design Institute of Hubei Institute of Aerospace Technology, and Hubei Changjiang Aerospace Industry Investment Fund.

According to Zhang Di, deputy general manager of China Aerospace Sanjiang Group Co., Ltd. and president of Xingyun Company, the company is dedicated to developing and launching small satellites that operate in low orbits to form a constellation of network, as well as building a space-based IoT, so that the information within the global IoT can be seamlessly acquired, transmitted, and shared. At the same time, an information ecosystem including cloud computing, big data, and other services is built. In January 2017, the first technology verification star “Yingyun Trial-1” satellite was successfully launched into orbit by virtue of the KZ-1A carrier rocket.

Zhang Di says that after the establishment of the company, it plans to launch 80 small cloud satellites, and gradually builds the system in three stages of α, β and γ, eventually creating a space-based IoT that covers the whole world.

Compared with the existing traditional Internet of Things, Xingyun Company’s space-based Internet of Things has many unique advantages. Its system covers a wide area and can achieve a communication without blind spots around the world. Meanwhile, its system has strong resistance to damage. In the event of emergency like natural disasters and emergencies, it can still work normally. It has outstanding application advantages in rescue and relief work, as well as emergency support, since it can quickly establish communication links and command systems for emergency relief. It can also provide emergency communication services for individuals outdoors and build life protection lines for people in distress in outdoor sports.