Geely Satellite CEO： Our ambitions are not as big as Musk’s

On June 8, Beijing time, the first nine satellites built by Geely Holding Group for future travel were launched earlier this month. Geely’s Zhejiang Space-Time Daodaoyu Technology Co., Ltd. is responsible for the development of these satellites, and its CEO Wang Yang said that compared with Elon Musk’s plans for SpaceX, the company’s ambitions are much more modest.

The nine satellites were launched into orbit on June 2 aboard a Long March 2C rocket, making SpaceX one of the first Chinese companies to begin assembling a constellation of satellites pioneered by SpaceX, which already has more than 2,000 satellites in orbit.

"We all have a background in car manufacturing, and we all want aerospace technology and satellites to give back to car manufacturing and travel," Mr. Wang said in an interview on Tuesday. "The difference is our goal of making satellites."

SpaceX is putting its Starlink satellites into orbit to build a constellation of internet services as a low-cost alternative to long-range land-based systems that are vulnerable to interference. SpaceX also launches rockets for global satellite operators, the US military and NASA.

In contrast, Spacetime Daoyu’s ambitions are more modest. Wang Yang said that Spacetime Daoyu expects to have 72 satellites by the end of 2025 and 168 satellites by the end of the decade.

"While we want to provide the ultimate travel experience for our users, SpaceX is more focused on low-latency broadband and providing high-speed broadband access to 7 billion people around the world," Mr. Wang said.

Space-Time Daoyu is following in the footsteps of Chinese rival Galaxy Aerospace, which in March put six satellites into orbit. The satellites weigh an average of 190 kilograms and are China’s first projects to develop constellations in low-Earth orbit.

"Compared to Starlink, China’s constellation is small," Global Times said in a report on the launch, adding that China "will step up efforts to promote the application and transfer of space technology in the next five years".

Wang Yang said that Spacetime Daoyu plans to do its part to open up the network to other brands, and more information will be announced within three months.

"Geely’s future partners will not be limited to Geely’s ecosystem and car brands," he said. "We are also building partnerships with other industries."