What Happened
Beijing Challenges US Dominance in Low Earth Orbit
China has made significant strides in reusable rocket technology, with the Long March 10B and LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 achieving successful landings. This development is crucial for China’s long-term ambitions to build its own satellite constellations, rivaling SpaceX’s Starlink. China views Starlink as a strategic threat, providing the US with a significant advantage in low Earth orbit. Beijing is pursuing two strategies to counter Starlink: targeting it through regulatory and technical means, and building its own equivalents to reduce dependence on Western providers. This was first reported by ChinaTalk.