Chinese firms apply to send 200,000 satellites into orbit just as Beijing accuses SpaceX of crowding

According to a report from Xinhua, Chinese companies have formally outlined plans to launch a staggering number of internet satellites — totaling over 200,000 — into low Earth orbit. The filings were submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency, just as Beijing issued complaints regarding the crowding of space resources by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

According to the documents, roughly a dozen submissions were made by various Chinese operators late last month. The vast majority of the proposed fleet falls under two specific projects, dubbed CTC-1 and CTC-2. Each of these projects aims to deploy 96,714 satellites. The applications were filed by the newly formed Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation, an entity registered in Hebei province on December 30 — just one day after the paperwork was sent to the ITU.

This massive surge in filings highlights the intensifying competition between the United States and China to establish dominance in space-based internet infrastructure. Currently, SpaceX holds a significant lead with its Starlink constellation. The urgency to file stems from the nature of orbital regulation: because radio frequencies and physical slots in orbit are finite, priority is often granted to “first movers” who secure the rights early.

The move comes shortly after U.S. regulators at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved SpaceX's deployment of an additional 7,500 second-generation satellites. These additions are required to be in orbit by 2031, which would bring the total size of the authorized Starlink fleet to 15,000, though the company has applied for up to 30,000.