China introduces its counterpart to Elon Musk's Starlink internet satellites.

• On Tuesday, China launched its initial batch of internet satellites, aiming to establish a constellation that could compete with SpaceX's Starlink.
• A low earth orbit constellation, referred to as "Thousand Sails," is a set of over 15,000 satellites that China claims will provide global internet coverage.
• According to CCTV, China plans to launch 648 satellites in the first phase of its constellation's development by 2025, with the goal of establishing a global internet network.

On Tuesday, China launched its initial batch of internet satellites, aiming to establish a constellation that could compete with SpaceX's Starlink.

The constellation "Thousand Sails" is a low-Earth orbit set of over 15,000 satellites that China claims will provide global internet coverage.

The initial 18 satellites were successfully delivered into space by a Long March 6A carrier rocket launched from the Taiyuan launch center in northern Shanxi province, China, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

According to CCTV, China plans to launch 648 satellites in the first phase of its constellation's development by 2025, with the goal of establishing a global internet network.

The constellation of China is made up of a set of satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) that aim to provide internet coverage. Two prominent companies in the space industry are Starlink, developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX, and OneWeb, which is owned by a European firm.

Beijing's bid to dislodge U.S. dominance in the space sector is highlighted by the launch of an internet constellation, as the technology competition between the two nations intensifies.

In 2020, China launched the BeiDou network, a global navigation system that competes with the U.S. government-owned GPS, which is widely used worldwide.

The China Chang'e-6 lunar probe landed on Earth on Tuesday in June, bringing back the first samples from the uncharted far side of the moon. Additionally, Beijing has announced plans to launch its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033.