China launches first commercial satellite network to track space debris

Beijing,UPDATED: Jul 26, 2026 18:22 IST

China has started deploying its first commercial satellite network to monitor space debris and carry out round-the-clock detection of targets across all orbits. The first satellite in the 120-satellite Gande Constellation was launched on Friday aboard a Lijian-1 commercial rocket from northwest China, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.

The constellation is expected to improve China’s space traffic management, collision avoidance and protection of its growing commercial satellite fleets. It is also aimed at strengthening the country’s independent space situational awareness and commercial services, with full deployment planned before 2030 in three phases.

Space debris includes defunct human-made objects orbiting Earth that no longer serve any functional purpose. As rocket launches, planetary missions and satellite deployments increase, the amount of debris in orbit is also rising.

Xinhua said the first satellite is equipped with an onboard artificial intelligence-assisted computer. According to the developers, this will allow the satellites to carry out routine surveillance, emergency response and rapid tracking missions with minimal ground intervention. The satellites will also have orbital transfer capability, enabling close-range observation and other advanced in-orbit operations.

The first phase of the project, called LX630, will comprise 14 satellites. They are designed to support comprehensive monitoring and cataloguing of objects across low-Earth orbit. Fan Wei, chief engineer of the constellation, said Friday’s launch filled a gap in China’s commercial space-based debris monitoring capability and marked “a key step in space traffic management”.

The launch comes at a time when several countries and private companies are expanding orbital monitoring and satellite constellations, including US-based SpaceX with its Starlink network and US space surveillance programmes. China, for its part, is seeking to emerge as a leading global space power by 2035.

Xinhua said the satellites are also expected to enhance China’s civil and military capabilities in an increasingly congested and contested space environment. Analysts said the commercial space debris monitoring constellation is more than a safety initiative.

China has faced debris-related risks in recent missions. Last year, the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft stayed longer at the Tiangong space station after the viewport window of its return capsule was struck by space debris during the mission. In 2024, the Shenzhou-17 crew carried out two spacewalks to repair the space station’s core module solar arrays after they were damaged by orbital debris.

According to Xinhua, the number of space debris fragments larger than one centimetre, large enough to pose a potential threat to spacecraft, has crossed one million. Travelling at around 7.9 km per second, these fragments carry enormous kinetic energy on impact. As scientists work to improve spacecraft shielding, they are also stepping up debris monitoring, with the Gande Constellation becoming China’s latest effort in this field.

With PTI Inputs

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