The global space race is heating up as nations and private companies scramble to secure orbital slots and radio spectrum resources.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), China submitted applications in December 2025 for more than 200,000 satellites. Of these, over 190,000 were filed by the Institute of Radio Spectrum Development and Technological Innovation (IRSDTI)—a newly established research institute based in Xiong’an New Area.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has also made significant progress. On January 9, 2026, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved SpaceX’s plan to deploy an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites. This brings the total authorized number of Gen2 Starlink satellites to over 15,000 globally, building on the existing constellation of approximately 8,000 first-generation satellites already in orbit.
China’s Massive Satellite Filing
In the final week of 2025, China submitted multiple satellite constellation proposals to the ITU, totaling more than 200,000 satellites across 14 planned constellations. The bulk of the filings came from IRSDTI’s CTC-1 and CTC-2 constellations, each requesting 96,714 satellites—amounting to nearly 193,500 combined.
The applicants represent a broad coalition of Chinese entities, including China Satellite Network Group (China SatNet), Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology, China Mobile, China Telecom, IRSDTI, Guodian High-tech, Aerospace Yusheng, and GalaxySpace.
Notably, IRSDTI was officially registered in Xiong’an on December 30, 2025—the day after it submitted its CTC-1 and CTC-2 applications. The institute was jointly established by seven key stakeholders: the State Radio Monitoring Center, Xiong’an New Area Management Committee, Hebei Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, China SatNet, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing Jiaotong University, and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC).
IRSDTI aims to serve the satellite internet industry, advance electromagnetic space technologies, and maximize the value of spectrum resources through a collaborative platform integrating government, academia, research, and industry.
ITU’s Deployment Timeline Adds Urgency
Under ITU regulations, new satellite filings must meet strict deployment milestones:
- Launch the first satellite within 7 years,
- Deploy 10% of the total by year 9,
- Reach 50% by year 12,
- Complete 100% deployment by year 14.
Failure to meet these deadlines results in proportional reductions of allocated spectrum rights based on actual deployment. This binding framework has turned satellite manufacturing and launch capabilities into the most critical—and time-sensitive—segments of the space industry.
SpaceX Gains Regulatory Green Light
On January 9, 2026, the FCC granted SpaceX authorization to operate an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites, significantly expanding its next-generation broadband network. The approval also permits technical upgrades allowing operations across five frequency bands.
Importantly, the FCC waived previous restrictions on signal overlap and network capacity limitations, removing regulatory barriers to service quality improvements.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr hailed the decision as transformative: “This authorization is a game-changer for next-generation services. By greenlighting 15,000 advanced satellites, the FCC is empowering SpaceX to deliver unprecedented broadband capabilities, enhance competition, and ensure no community is left behind.”
The new satellites will support direct-to-cell connectivity outside the U.S. and strengthen domestic coverage, with potential speeds reaching up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps)—paving the way for future mobile communication services.
Orbital Real Estate Becomes a Strategic Priority
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is finite. According to ITU data, the theoretical capacity for LEO satellites is around 60,000. As of May 12, 2025, only about 10,824 satellites were in orbit—utilizing roughly 18% of available LEO slots. However, once spectrum is allocated, it becomes unavailable to others, driving a global race to file early and deploy fast.
As of 2025, the U.S. leads in on-orbit spacecraft, accounting for 75.94% of the global total, while China holds approximately 9.43%.
China’s commercial space sector is rapidly scaling up, with three major mega-constellations now taking shape:
- China SatNet’s GW constellation,
- Shanghai Yuanxin’s G60 Qianfan (“Thousand-Sail”) constellation,
- Lanqiao Honghong Tech’s Honghu-3 constellation.
Each faces tight ITU deadlines:
- China SatNet must launch 1,300 satellites by September 2029,
- G60 Qianfan must deploy 1,500 by August 2032,
- Honghu-3 must complete 1,000 by May 2033.
Given current launch rates, China is expected to enter a high-intensity satellite deployment phase in the coming years, with launch demand poised for explosive growth to close the gap between filings and actual orbital presence.
As the competition for space-based infrastructure accelerates, both national strategies and private-sector ambitions are converging on a single imperative: secure the skies—before it’s too late.