China’s Geespace conducted its second satellite launch on 3rd February, sending eleven satellites into low Earth orbit, finish the deployment of the second orbital plane of the ambitious Geely Future Mobility Constellation.
Geely Future Mobility Constellation represents the world’s inaugural commercial initiative to integrate communication, navigation, and remote sensing within a single satellite network. The nine satellites of the first orbital plane was successfully deployed in June 2022. To date, Geespace has not only initiated mass production of satellites but also accomplished orbital plane level deployment, achieving constellation-level telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C). The company is actively engaged in satellite application testing.
With this advancement, Geespace joins the global league of enterprises like Iridium, Globalstar, Orbcomm, OneWeb, and SpaceX, showcasing its capability to independently construct and manage a commercial satellite constellation. It also stands as the sole entity in China to have successfully completed such extensive constellation orbital deployments. A remarkable feat achieved in 2023 by Geespace was the pioneering mass production of satellite communications for the automotive sector – a world first.
By 2025, Geespace aims to establish global real-time data communication services following the full deployment of 72 satellites in the constellation’s initial phase. The second phase will expand the network to 168 satellites, delivering global centimeter-level high-precision positioning services. This expansion is set to provide highly reliable and cost-effective satellite services to various sectors, including personal mobility with a focus on autopolit, intelligent connected vehicles, consumer electronics, and beyond. Additionally, the satellites come equipped with AI remote sensing functions, providing 1- 5 meter high-resolution remote sensing imaging. This technology is poised to revolutionize ecological environment monitoring and provide versatile imaging solutions across diverse industries.
The Geely Future Mobility Constellation offers global satellite IoT service capabilities, comparable to Iridium Next satellites. From the initial design of the Constellation, the provision of Direct-to-Cell service was a key consideration, mirroring functionality recently introduced by Starlink’s V2 mini-satellites. Consequently, the Constellation delivers efficient satellite messaging and data transmission. Geespace, focused on personal mobility, specializes in providing satellite data services to automotive and consumer electronics sectors.
By integrating communication, navigation, and remote sensing, Geespace delivers various satellite data products and services. They are designed to substantially support the “Belt and Road” initiative, fostering international cooperation. This approach will accelerate the commercialization, large-scale implementation, and global expansion of satellite applications.