A global race centered on low-Earth orbit satellite internet is rapidly intensifying. From Europe to the Asia-Pacific, governments and commercial aerospace companies are attempting to break SpaceX's dominance in satellite communications, driving the construction of local satellite constellations. This is not only about commercial interests but also involves national security and strategic autonomy. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last Friday approved SpaceX's deployment of an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, bringing its total approved second-generation satellites for orbital operation to 15,000. The company currently operates approximately 9,400 satellites and completed 154 launches in 2025, accounting for over 80% of total U.S. launches. Faced with SpaceX's overwhelming advantage, regions and countries including Europe, Canada, Japan, and India are accelerating their commercial space layouts. The European Space Agency approved a record three-year budget of 22 billion euros in November, with approximately 900 million euros earmarked to support five startups that have not yet achieved orbital launch. The Canadian government has committed to investing nearly 183 million Canadian dollars over three years to improve the capacity for launching space missions domestically. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has allocated 150 billion yen in its FY2025 supplementary budget to support companies in building a "Japanese version of Starlink." The total number of U.S. rocket launches has climbed year by year from about 40 in 2020 to around 180 in 2025, showing a steep growth curve, with 80% of these launches coming from SpaceX. The company currently operates approximately 9,400 satellites and completed 154 launches in 2025, making it the absolute mainstay of U.S. rocket launches. SpaceX has now become the world's largest satellite operator, controlling nearly two-thirds of active satellites. For this expansion, the FCC has set a strict deployment schedule for SpaceX: it must launch and operate 50% of the authorized number of second-generation satellites by December 2028, with the remaining satellites required to be launched by December 2031. For the first-generation Starlink satellites, SpaceX needs to complete the deployment of 7,500 satellites by November 2027. The FCC's approval this time involves not only an increase in satellite numbers but also key technological upgrades. SpaceX is permitted to operate in five frequency bands and has been exempted from previous regulations limiting satellite signal coverage overlap, clearing regulatory hurdles for enhancing network capacity. The new satellites will provide direct-to-cellular satellite services for regions outside the U.S. and strengthen network coverage capabilities within the U.S. These technological upgrades are expected to achieve internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, supporting next-generation mobile communication services. After lagging behind for years, overshadowed by SpaceX's low-cost reusable rockets, the European space industry demonstrated renewed determination to catch up in 2026. Of the record funding approved by the European Space Agency last November, approximately 900 million euros will be allocated to the "European Launcher Challenge" program, supporting five startups: Germany's Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg, Spain's PLD Space, France's MaiaSpace, and the UK's Orbex. Isar Aerospace, based in Munich's "Space Valley," is one of Europe's most advanced challengers. Founded in 2018 by three students from the Technical University of Munich, the company has raised over 500 million euros and employs more than 400 people. It is constructing a 40,000-square-meter factory with an annual production capacity of over 30 rockets. Daniel Metzler, the 33-year-old CEO of Isar, stated, "Europe is indeed behind, but the only way to close the gap is to build. The real risk is not failure, but inertia." Europe's catch-up efforts are also driven by geopolitical factors. As the U.S. and figures like Musk become increasingly hostile towards the EU, and the Russia-Ukraine war highlights the battlefield value of networks like Starlink, European policymakers recognize the importance of fostering a more resilient space sector. Germany plans to invest 35 billion euros by 2030 to enhance space defense capabilities, and the German military reportedly desires its own satellite constellation. However, Europe still faces significant challenges. In 2025, Europe completed only 7 orbital launches, whereas SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched on average every two days. Europe's Ariane 6 rocket aims for 10 launches per year by 2027, about double its predecessor's rate, but it still does not incorporate reusable technology. Canadian startup Kepler Communications launched 10 low-orbit satellites this month via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking a significant milestone in building its optical relay network. According to Bloomberg, each satellite weighs about 300 kilograms and will be used for Earth observation, defense, and communication services. Since its founding a decade ago, Kepler has raised $200 million in funding. CEO Mina Mitry stated in an interview that these satellites will operate as "orbital data centers," capable of storing terabytes of information and running AI workloads in space. The satellites use lasers to transmit information, upgrading space communication from the "dial-up speeds" of older technology to high-speed levels. Kepler's development benefits from increased government spending on defense and intelligence. The Canadian government allocated 81.8 billion Canadian dollars in its latest budget to enhance defense capabilities over five years and committed nearly 183 million Canadian dollars over three years to improve domestic launch capacity. In December last year, the Canadian Space Agency signed a contract with Kepler for a conceptual study of a next-generation Earth observation satellite system. In October 2024, the European Space Agency selected the company to help develop its optical laser network. Mitry indicated that the company will seek new capital to continue scaling its operations and plans to launch another 10 satellites by 2028. According to Japan's Sankei Shimbun, the Japanese government is developing a "Japanese version of Starlink" from a national security perspective. The government has finalized support measures to promote communication services with domestically controlled autonomy using low-orbit satellite constellations. The Japanese government has allocated 150 billion yen (approximately $9.6 billion) in its FY2025 supplementary budget for subsidies to companies that launch satellites and provide communication services. Public recruitment for subsidy applications is expected to begin by the end of March this year. This initiative stems from Japan's concerns about relying on foreign satellite communications. After the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024, Japanese communications operator KDDI provided Starlink terminals free of charge to evacuation centers, raising public awareness of Starlink as a communication safeguard during disasters. However, Japanese government officials feel a strong sense of crisis, believing that "if this continues, the market will be completely dominated by foreign companies." A low-orbit satellite constellation refers to a communication network operating in orbits 200 to 2000 kilometers above the Earth's surface, consisting of dozens to thousands of small satellites working collaboratively, capable of supporting voice calls and data communication for devices like mobile phones. India's ambition to expand its share of the global commercial space market is facing severe technical tests, as recent consecutive launch failures have raised concerns about the reliability of its rockets. According to a CCTV news report, a critical launch mission conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) failed on January 12 local time. India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) experienced a significant orbital deviation after liftoff, failing to place the military Earth observation satellite, designated EOS-N1, and 15 other payloads into their intended orbits. This incident marks the second consecutive failure for this rocket model, once considered India's "mainstay in space," following a previous failure in May 2025 that resulted in the loss of the EOS-09 satellite. These successive setbacks not only delay India's plans to enhance its space-based surveillance capabilities but also cast a shadow over its burgeoning commercial launch sector. ISRO is attempting to leverage its cost advantages to capture a share of the global satellite launch market, competing directly with industry giants like SpaceX. Despite facing headwinds, India maintains some growth momentum in the heavy-lift sector. In December 2025, India's largest heavy-lift rocket, the LVM3, successfully executed a commercial mission, placing a heavy satellite into orbit, demonstrating its potential in high-value launch services. On December 3, 2025, Landspace's Future-3 rocket successfully achieved orbital flight. Although the first-stage recovery failed, it validated the core flight control方案, making subsequent iterations promising. Reusable technology is key to reducing launch costs by an order of magnitude; its breakthrough signifies that the major cost bottleneck for large-scale constellation construction is being overcome. Simultaneously, Chinese commercial aerospace companies are approaching a critical moment in the capital markets. Landspace's application for an IPO on Shanghai's STAR Market was accepted by the Shanghai Stock Exchange on December 31, 2025, aiming to raise 7.5 billion yuan, potentially becoming the "first stock of commercial aerospace." In June of this year, the China Securities Regulatory Commission formally included commercial aerospace within the scope of the fifth set of listing standards for the STAR Market, allowing companies with core technology that are not yet profitable to raise funds through public listings. Within just a few months thereafter, several companies, including Zhongke Aerospace, Tianbing Technology, and Galaxy Power, initiated IPO辅导. According to Guojin Securities, China conducted about 35 rocket launches in 2020 and approximately 66 in 2025, showing relatively moderate growth. Once reusable rockets achieve milestone progress in commercialization, it is expected to press the "accelerator button" for China's deployment of low-orbit satellites. According to an earlier report by the Shanghai Securities News, China applied to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in December 2025 for frequency and orbital resources for over 200,000 satellites, with 190,000 of these coming from the newly established "national team" Radio Innovation Institute. This institute is the first new-type R&D institution in China's radio management technology field aimed at technological innovation and成果转化, indicating that the application for satellite frequency and orbital resources has been elevated to a national strategic level.
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