At Beijing’s strategic conference, Chinese company LinkSure Network announced an ambitious goal—its “LinkSure Swarm Constellation System” satellite network program.
Developed independently by LinkSure, the program aims “to solve internet access in areas not covered by terrestrial networks through satellite communication services and solutions,” according to the company, with the ultimate goal of a “free satellite network around the globe by 2026.”
Below is LinkSure’s projected timeline:
- 2019: Launch first satellite, named LinkSure-1, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, a Chinese space vehicle launch facility in the Gobi desert, Inner Mongolia.
- 2020: Launch the first 10 satellites of the constellation system.
- 2026: Have a completed network of 272 satellites and data processing application centers.
The final 272 satellite systems are comprised of two layers in low orbit of varying heights. The first is a satellite core 72 strong situated 100 km (62 mi) above the Earth, while the second is the remaining 200 satellite nodes 600 km (373 mi) from the ground.
The LinkSure satellite team’s key players are from the China Academy of Space (CASC).
“On a global scale, the number of satellites far from meet the huge demand for communication. The future of the communication sector must be a combination of space and ground,” says An Yang, chief scientist of LinkSure’s satellite project, according to China Daily.
The total cost for LinkSure’s endeavor, according to China Daily, is projected to reach more than 3 billion yuan ($431 million). According to New Atlas, “partnerships and applications” will provide the funding.
The mission to provide internet access to remote areas of the world isn’t a new one, with companies such as Google, SpaceX, and Facebook, among others, working on similar projects.