The China National Space Administration (CNSA) recently announced that it will look to vastly expand the production of its new Long March 8 launch system with a facility capable of producing 50 of the rockets per year.
That rocket will help China lift a new satellite mega-constellation into orbit that will allow it to compete with SpaceX's Starlink internet capabilities.
China's satellite constellation, sometimes referred to as "Guowang", or national network, will be comprised of roughly 13,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. Much like SpaceX's Starlink, it draws concerns about the effects it could have on the global astronomical community.
China is expected to launch the first satellites of its new network later this year. According to a SpaceNews report, the first satellites will be launched atop a Yuanzheng-2 second stage attached to a Long March 5B rocket for the first time.
Now, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is boosting the production of Long March 8 to help it reach the capacity it requires to launch its entire constellation. To do so, it is building a new facility and launch pads at Wenchang Spaceport on Hainan island.
The Long March 8 rocket is China's most up-to-date operational rocket. The country is also developing the Long March 9 rocket, and it recently announced that it will be fully reusable, much like SpaceX's Starship. The Long March 10 rocket, meanwhile, is expected to help it send astronauts to the Moon before 2030.
During a launch in February 2022, Long March 8 lifted 22 satellites into orbit, setting a national record. That launch allowed China to verify the launch system for future "Guowang" missions.
Little is known so far regarding the specifications of the "Guowang" satellites, though they are reportedly being developed by CASC subsidiary CAST and the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Microsat.
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