The Chinese innovative company Commsat announced plans to create a network of 72 communication satellites in low-near-earth orbit by 2022, which will ensure the operation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The first 7 small satellites of this company called “Pyaochun” (“Ladybird”) were launched on December 7th. Together with two satellites of Saudi Arabia, they were put into the planned orbit with the help of the Changzheng-2D launch vehicle, which was launched from the Jiuquan cosmodrome.
After the completion of orbital testing, satellites of this series will be used to test IoT technologies. In the future, they will be used in various areas, including the protection of wild animals, the organization of rescue operations, monitoring of vehicles and ships, logistics support.
According to the project manager, the chief executive officer of Commsat, Ce Tao, one of these satellites weighs more than 100 kg, and the rest weigh up to 10 kg and belong to nanosatellites.
Experts predict a widespread popularity of IoT devices by 2020. In this regard, many Chinese and foreign enterprises have begun to build their network of low-orbit communication satellites.
Commsat is engaged in research on the innovative use of small satellites and the development of communication system technologies and the creation of satellite constellations. The company’s investor is the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.