China Files Plans for Massive LEO Constellations, Including D2D

Chinese satellite operators have submitted a wave of new filings to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), outlining plans for tens of thousands of additional non-geostationary satellites with proposals spanning broadband connectivity, IoT, relay networks, radar imaging, and direct-to-device (D2D) services.

Among the filings are;

• GalaxySpace proposed two new constellations, including Galaxy-SAR-2 (96 satellites) for synthetic aperture radar and a smaller BlackSpider-3 system.

• Guodian Gaoke submitted plans to further expand its Tianqi IoT constellation, adding more than 1,000 satellites on top of earlier multi-thousand-satellite proposals.

• Shanghai Spacesail Technologies filed for 1,296 satellites linked to the Qianfan broadband mega-constellation, part of a longer-term plan that could reach ~13,000 spacecraft.

• China Mobile, newly licensed for satellite mobile services, appeared in ITU filings for the first time with two proposed constellations totaling nearly 2,700 satellites, widely viewed as supporting future direct-to-cell NTN services.

• The most eye-catching submission came from the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation, which filed for two constellations totaling nearly 200,000 satellites (CTC-1 and CTC-2). While details are limited, partners and descriptions point to spectrum security, surveillance, and government-focused space services rather than consumer broadband.

Taken together, China’s active and proposed filings are now well over 200,000 satellites on paper, dramatically exceeding current global deployment plans. While actual launch rates remain far lower, the filings underline China’s strategic push to secure orbital slots and spectrum for future NTN, IoT, and D2C services, and may also be intended to influence international debate over the ITU’s first-come, first-served frequency allocation model.