{"id":99830,"date":"2025-05-14T04:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T04:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/99830\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T04:12:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T04:12:09","slug":"chinas-bullet-shape-satellite-test-paves-the-way-for-very-low-orbit-surveillance-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/99830\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s bullet-shape satellite test paves the way for very low orbit surveillance network"},"content":{"rendered":"<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">China has completed key technology checks for an experimental satellite in very low Earth orbit (VLEO), marking an initial step towards building a 300-satellite constellation for high-resolution remote sensing and communications, according to local media.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">Chutian-001, which was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre a year ago, showed core capabilities \u2013 including satellite system performance, high-resolution smart imaging and space environment monitoring \u2013 Hubei Daily reported.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">The outlet said the tests showed major progress in key areas, such as precise satellite control in very low orbits, real-time target detection using domestically developed technologies and multi-sensor monitoring of the near-Earth environment.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-qa=\"BaseImage-handleRenderImage-StyledImage\" class=\"e1o401188 css-1w1l3op e445x7d0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/CLEAN---thumbnail_2.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-qa=\"SCMPYoutubeVideoPreview-PreviewDuration\" class=\"css-5luln3 e1o401181\">11:05<\/p>\n<p data-qa=\"SCMPYoutubeVideoPreview-PreviewTitle\" class=\"css-4z83qs e1o401182\">Space race elevates Asia in new world order <\/p>\n<p>Space race elevates Asia in new world order <\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">The report did not disclose the satellite\u2019s altitude or specifications such as mass or size. However, images from last year\u2019s Zhuhai air show revealed the satellite\u2019s streamlined, bullet-shaped body designed to reduce atmospheric drag, a key challenge for spacecraft operating below 300km (186 miles) where air resistance is much greater.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">VLEO satellites typically circle the Earth at altitudes between 150km and 300km, offering advantages such as lower signal latency, stronger transmission, reduced power needs and potentially lower launch costs.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">However, they must regularly fire on-board thrusters to counter atmospheric drag, which shortens their lifespan and demands more frequent replacement.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">As part of China\u2019s broader effort to grow its commercial space sector, the Chutian constellation project was launched in July 2023 by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) in partnership with the Hubei provincial government. The constellation will be deployed in three phases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"China has completed key technology checks for an experimental satellite in very low Earth orbit (VLEO), marking an&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99831,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3844],"tags":[46380,1395,46378,46377,46369,46370,46371,46379,46374,46372,46368,70,413,16,15,46375,46373,46376,46367],"class_list":{"0":"post-99830","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-casic","9":"tag-china","10":"tag-china-aerospace-science-and-industry-corp","11":"tag-chutian-constellation","12":"tag-chutian-001","13":"tag-disaster-response","14":"tag-hubei-daily","15":"tag-hubei-provincial-government","16":"tag-jiuquan-satellite-launch-centre","17":"tag-real-time-earth-observation","18":"tag-satellite-control","19":"tag-science","20":"tag-space","21":"tag-uk","22":"tag-united-kingdom","23":"tag-very-low-earth-orbit","24":"tag-vleo","25":"tag-watershed-management","26":"tag-zhuhai-air-show"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114504240751657988","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}