China Launches 21st Batch of Low-Orbit Internet Satellites — Constellation Rivaling Starlink Expands

China launched the 21st group of satellites for its low-orbit internet constellation on April 9 at 3:38 a.m. Beijing time, aboard a modified Long March-6 rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center — marking the 637th flight of the Long March series. The multi-satellite batch furthers China's ambition to compete with SpaceX's Starlink in global broadband connectivity. China's Guowang (SatNet) constellation, backed by a $9B government investment, aims to deploy 12,992 satellites under ITU filings. A separate private constellation (Qianfan/Thousand Sails) is being developed by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology with 648 planned satellites. The launches represent China's strategic push into satellite internet as a dual-use infrastructure — providing commercial broadband while also developing the satellite communication backbone needed for military connectivity, remote industrial AI applications, and digital sovereignty. The US-China competition in LEO satellite internet has strategic dimensions beyond commercial competition: whoever achieves global LEO coverage first may also establish the dominant standards and ground infrastructure for next-generation satellite communications.