Elon Musk's Starlink is facing challenges from China's satellite megaprojects.

Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite service presents a formidable challenge for China as it strives to close the gap.

SpaceX's Starlink has nearly 7,000 operational satellites in orbit and serves over 5 million customers in more than 100 countries, providing high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas.

SpaceX and China are both aiming to establish massive constellations in low earth orbit, with SpaceX hoping for 42,000 satellites and China targeting around 38,000 satellites across three projects.

In addition to Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb has also launched over 630 low earth orbit (LEO) internet satellites and has plans for a massive LEO constellation, known as Project Kuiper, consisting of over 3,000 satellites, though the company has only launched two prototype satellites so far.

Given the intense rivalry, why would China invest time and resources into constructing such massive constellations?

Steve Feldstein, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated that Starlink has demonstrated its ability to provide internet access to individuals and citizens in remote areas, allowing them to access any websites and apps they desire.

"Feldstein stated that China has been pushing to censor what its citizens can access. This presents a threat to them, as uncensored content from Starlink could potentially penetrate their censorship regime. As a result, they need to develop an alternative strategy."

Blaine Curcio, founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting, believes that in some countries, China's censorship of the internet could be viewed as a unique selling point. He says, "We may not be as quick to market, but we'll happily censor your internet for you, with a smile on our faces."

While Chinese constellations may not be the ideal internet provider for countries like the U.S., Western Europe, Canada, and other U.S. allies, there are still many regions that could welcome a Chinese service.

"Juliana Suess, an associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, stated that there are certain geographic areas that could be attractive for a Starlink-like competitor, specifically one made by China, including China itself. She mentioned Russia, Afghanistan, and Syria as examples of regions not yet covered by Starlink. Additionally, she pointed out that large parts of Africa are also not yet covered."

"Suess stated that 70% of 4G infrastructures in Africa have been constructed by Huawei. To further strengthen Huawei's presence in Africa, a space-based perspective may be beneficial."

A national security necessity is having a proprietary satellite internet constellation, especially when ground internet infrastructure is damaged during war.

"Feldstein stated that the difference that Starlink technology has made in the Ukraine battlefield is significant, particularly with the emergence of drone warfare and the connected battlefield. He emphasized that satellite-based weaponry is viewed as a crucial military advantage. As a result, China sees investing in this technology as essential for achieving its national security goals."

Discover the reasons behind China's construction of megaconstellations and the challenges it may encounter in the video.