China’s Latest Rocket Launch Signals Intensifying Satellite Race

From rocket launches to mega-constellations, China races against Starlink, chasing a slice of the fast-growing sky-high internet market.

A long March-2F carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft and crew of three astronauts lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in the Gobi desert, northwest China, on Oct. 30, 2024. Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

Low Earth orbit (LEO) has become the high ground in an intensifying space race, now centered on quick and affordable satellite launches that shape everything from global communications to military operations.