by Blaine Curcio
19 January 2026. – In the past year, China launched almost 400 satellites, with just over half (201) satellites built and developed by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), and its subsidiaries and Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites (SECM). With SatNet and Thousand Sails NGSO Comms as the beneficiary constellations, CAST and SECM roughly doubled their output compared to 2024 as the constellations ramped up.
On the other hand, optical remote sensing manufacturer Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. saw a continued decline from 27 satellites in 2024 to 22 satellites in 2025, though this is to be expected as their Jilin-1 constellation was largely completed in 2024. They will likely see growth this year as their next-gen Jilin-1 GF-07 constellation ramps up, with planned 0.2m resolution.
Others with honorable mention include GEESPACE, with their Future Navigation Constellation ramping up nicely, and SECM’s “sister company” Genesat, who built a batch of satellites for Thousand Sails.
Meanwhile, several more “second-tier” satellite manufacturers are starting to make an impact, including Harbin Institute of Technology spinoff HITSAT and ADA Space, who is operating the Three Body Computing constellation. Others including MinoSpace and Galaxy Space have gone for quality over quantity, building fewer, but larger, and oftentimes more complex satellites. Furthermore, both MinoSpace and Galaxy Space built satellites for China SatNet in 2025, and may be tapped in 2026 as the constellation ramps up launches.
All this is to say, while China’s satellite manufacturing picture remains relatively concentrated around a few big names, there are several more players waiting in the wings. And with several very big projects like the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) and other space exploration missions taking up a lot of CAST bandwidth, the door may open wider for commercial manufacturers to serve national missions.
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