A lone satellite named "Honghu 03" lifted off on August 19 aboard a Zhuque-3 reusable rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone. This marked the first satellite manufactured in Xiong'an New Area, independently developed by Landspace Hongqing (Xiong'an) Space Technology Co., Ltd. The successful launch established a full operational loop for the New Area's aerospace information industry, bridging the gap between research, development, manufacturing, and in-orbit application.
Now centered around China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. (China SatNet), the New Area has attracted 69 aerospace information and satellite internet ecosystem enterprises and established 9 innovation platforms. This represents the first complete innovation-driven industrial chain in the New Area, which has evolved from nothing into one of its three major future industries and continues to expand rapidly.
Why Xiong'an Chose This Path
The aerospace information industry is a quintessential future sector characterized by high technology intensity, high added value, and low resource consumption. This aligns closely with Xiong'an's positioning as an innovative development demonstration zone that implements new development concepts. When the New Area's industrial direction was under scrutiny in 2017, many questioned why a "blank slate" would pursue a track requiring massive investment, long cycles, and extremely high technical barriers.
"We identified satellite internet and commercial aerospace as breakthroughs for strategic emerging industries," said Wang Yanwei, Director of Xiong'an New Area Reform and Development Bureau. "China SatNet will drive satellite internet applications and aerospace information industry development, bringing talent and industrial elements into Xiong'an."
Industry forecasts support this strategic bet. According to the 2024 White Paper on China's Satellite Navigation and Location Services Industry by the China Satellite Navigation and Positioning Association, the satellite navigation and location services industry reached RMB 536.2 billion in output value in 2023. Industry experts widely project China's aerospace information sector to exceed RMB 3 trillion by 2030.
In April 2021, China SatNet registered in Xiong'an, marking the beginning of aerospace industry headquarters converging on the New Area. Other state-backed players followed suit. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation subsequently established operations there, while China Spatiotemporal Information Group Co., Ltd. was registered in April 2024 with registered capital of RMB 4 billion, jointly held by China SatNet, China North Industries Group, and China Mobile Communications Group to consolidate resources in the spatiotemporal information field. In October 2024, China SatNet's office building in the Xiong'an startup district became operational, making it the first central enterprise to complete headquarters relocation to the New Area.
Ma Yangbiao, Deputy Director of the Xiong'an New Area Science Park Management Committee, emphasized the strategy: "We will fully leverage the leading role of central enterprises like China SatNet, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation to establish a satellite internet supply chain system and a commercial satellite intelligent manufacturing system."
While the "national team" provides stability, commercial aerospace companies bring vitality. Landspace Hongqing, developer and manufacturer of the first "Made in Xiong'an" satellite, exemplifies this dynamism. Chen Ying, the company's Director of Public Affairs, stated their ambition: "We are committed to becoming an internationally excellent Chinese satellite company."
An innovation ecosystem featuring "leading enterprise drive, collaboration among large, medium, and small companies, and upstream-downstream industrial chain synergy" is now taking shape by the shores of Baiyangdian Lake. The 69 aerospace information and satellite internet ecosystem enterprises already housed in Xiong'an span satellite internet connectivity, commercial satellite manufacturing, rocket key component R&D, and spatiotemporal information applications.
From Laboratory to Real-World Applications
Practical applications serve as the critical engine driving aerospace industry growth, and Xiong'an's digital twin city construction demonstrates this perfectly. China SatNet and Xiong'an Group jointly developed an "air-space-ground integrated digital foundation" that leverages satellite remote sensing, drones, and ground sensors to deliver high-precision, high-frequency spatial data services for urban management.
Ma Jisheng, General Manager of Xiong'an Xiongchuang Digital Technology Co., Ltd., explained the comprehensiveness of their digital infrastructure: "Every utility pole, every pipeline, even every park bench can be located in the system," he previously stated. Each data governance initiative and digital twin deployment represents groundwork for the "city in the cloud."
The transformation from traditional methods is dramatic. Previously, city water, electricity, gas, and heating distribution networks were fragmented across departments, with each managing its own segment through labor-intensive manual inspections. Now, digital twin models of Xiong'an's underground utility corridors work in concert with real-time sensors. A single click reveals live operational data for all utility lines, offering complete situational awareness on one screen.
Beyond the planning pavilions, aerospace technology also protects the "Kidney of North China" at Baiyangdian Lake. The Xiong'an New Area Ecological Environment Monitoring Center displays real-time drone footage of lake surface inspections from an integrated "Beidou + 5G" water environment monitoring system. Through drone hangars and remote sensing terminals deployed across the lake area, automated patrols now cover all 360 square kilometers of Baiyangdian. The ecological environment smart monitoring framework establishes a "sky, air, ground, and lake" four-dimensional surveillance network, enabling comprehensive multi-element data collection across the lake's complex aquatic conditions.
More applications continue emerging. In urban safety, satellite-internet-enabled emergency communication terminals are pre-installed in underground utility corridors and smart streetlights in new development zones, ensuring millisecond-level communication responses during extreme situations. In the low-altitude economy sector, Xiong'an is planning low-altitude intelligent logistics networks. Companies like Fengyi Technology are conducting routine logistics delivery trial flights in the New Area, bringing drone-based delivery to reality.
Building a Talent Mosaic
Industry competition ultimately comes down to talent competition, and Xiong'an has moved decisively to establish itself as an innovation hub. The "Xiong'an Talent Sixteen Measures," issued in November 2023, created a comprehensive support system spanning all talent levels through top-tier research funding, housing incentives for exceptional individuals, living allowances for recent graduates, and innovative mechanisms including special positions and flexible recruitment.
Lu Zhaoming, a Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications professor and leader of the underground positioning navigation project in Xiong'an, highlighted both technical and personal factors: "The research team here in Xiong'an has mature technical accumulation, and the local policy environment offers abundant scientific innovation support with genuine sincerity." His team initiated technical development in Xiong'an in 2020, eventually creating the "Beidou + 5G indoor distribution" precision underground positioning system that achieves meter-level accuracy above and below ground. This globally pioneering solution received first prize in the 2024 Xiong'an Future City Scene Exchange Series Competition finals.
"What attracts me most is the pure research environment and high-level experimental platforms. The 'Xiong'an Talent Card' provides comprehensive support covering housing, children's education, and medical care, allowing us to focus wholeheartedly on research," Lu added.
Chen Wei, Chairman of Xinlianxin (Hebei Xiong'an) Technology Co., Ltd., echoes these sentiments. This researcher with a PhD from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Semiconductors and nearly 20 years of semiconductor laser development experience relocated from Beijing to Xiong'an in 2023 to launch his business: "Xiong'an has many new application scenarios, which is a distinct advantage providing excellent grounds for entrepreneurs to iterate, test, and refine."
The numbers reflect this talent magnetism. As of August 2026, Xiong'an New Area has issued over 20,000 Talent Cards, with more than 5,700 outstanding recent graduates receiving monthly living subsidies. A steady pipeline of entrepreneurial talent continues establishing roots in the area.
Beyond financial support through research funds and living allowances, Xiong'an actively cultivates a youth-friendly urban atmosphere. Academic salons and technology roadshows occur regularly, keeping ideas flowing. Fresh talent streams continue flowing in as well. On July 23, 2026, the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications School of Aerospace Science and Technology was formally inaugurated in Xiong'an. Beihang University is also advancing deep cooperation with Xiong'an in aerospace science and technology, tailoring cultivation programs for the New Area.
Infrastructure development reinforces these initiatives. Xiong'an's satellite shared intelligent manufacturing center and shared testing center are nearing completion, providing significant operational convenience and reducing fixed asset investment costs for companies in the New Area. Shi Yaozhong, General Manager of Landspace Hongqing, expressed strong confidence: "We believe that with comprehensive support from the New Area's industrial and talent policies, along with new public experimental platforms and other infrastructure, our company can achieve excellent growth and development here."
The aerospace information industry has already become one of the fastest-growing and most promising emerging industry growth poles in the New Area. Xiong'an will continue pursuing intelligent, green, and integrated development pathways, prioritizing its three pillar industries of aerospace information and satellite internet, digital intelligence economy and artificial intelligence, and new materials. The New Area aims to deepen the integration of technological and industrial innovation, comprehensively elevate its innovation-led development capability, and establish itself as a model of innovation in the new era and a benchmark for high-quality development.
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