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China's Satellite Super Factories and U.S. National Security

  • Published
  • By Josh Baughman
  • China Aerospace Studies Institute

By early next year, three privately owned Chinese satellite super factories, backed by billions in Yuan (CNY), will be able to produce upwards of 1,000 satellites per year. This is part of a growing trend in China. The roots of this movement date back to the release of Document 60 in 2014 encouraging private capital's participation in China's construction of civilian space infrastructure. Since that time, around 100 private space companies have been established. Once controlled solely by state-owned enterprises such as the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) and China Aerospace Science and Technology (CASC), many private companies are now producing their own satellites. Three major companies have emerged that are greatly accelerating production: Geely, Galaxy Space, and Commsat. These companies have received millions in investment to create “super factories'' designed to quickly build hundreds of satellites a year.

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