China increasingly dominates technology on earth. There is a place where they are still far from Occiden

A recent report The New York Times He has evidenced the Chinese difficulty to compete with Spacex in the deployment of communications satellites. While Musk’s company already accumulates 8,000 Starlink satellitesthe two main Chinese networks just add 120 units in orbit.

Why is it important. Low orbit satellites are strategic for autonomous cars, war with drones and military surveillance. China considers Starlink a direct threat and has planned two megaconstellations with 27,000 satellites between them.

Qianfan, the constellation of low orbit satellites developed by China, anticipated having 650 operating satellites at the end of the year.

• Shanghai Spacesail Technologies, the company after the project, has only managed to put 90 in orbit since August.
• Guowang, an alternative born in 2020, is even worse: 34 satellites of the 13,000 planned for the next decade.

The context. The Popular Chinese Liberation Army See Starlink as something “deeply integrated into the US military combat system”. It is not empty paranoia: this network is essential to coordinate drones in Ukraine and Spacex has government contracts for spying and missile monitoring.

The background. China has not solved the key problem that Spacex solved years ago: reusable rockets. Chinese companies continue to wear single -use pitchers, which multiplies costs and reduces the frequency of launches.

The Falcon 9 can reuse its first stage up to 20 times, greatly reducing the costs. After five hundred missionsit is still the reference. Chinese candidates –Long March 8R, Zhuque-3, Tianlong-3– accumulate failures and delays.

Yes, but. China is negotiating Contracts with 30 countries to access Qianfan. He has already signed agreements in Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, taking advantage of certain misgivings towards American technology dependence.

The rhythm of Chinese launches accelerates: more than thirty missions in the first half, putting 150 satellites in orbit. But they need to multiply by five or six the rhythm to fulfill their international radio frequency commitments.

In addition, there are some counterparts to your proposal:

The decisive moment. Chinese megaconstellations must launch half of their satellites in five years after obtaining the frequencies, completing the deployment in seven.

Not fulfilling could force them to reduce the size of the networks.

Main loser? China dominates manufacturing, batteries, solar panels and traditional (non -advanced) semiconductors. But in sectors that require maximum risk assumption – Biotechnology, the space – the United States maintains a decisive advantage. Getting smaller in some scenarios, but maintains it.

The business mentality that rewards rapid and cheap failures against guaranteed successes makes the difference between Spacex and its Chinese rivals.

Outstanding image | Spacex

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