SpaceSail, a Chinese government-backed satellite internet company, is aiming to put 10,000 satellites into orbit by 2030 in a direct challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink, according to a report published on 28 October 2026 by technology outlet BGR. The company, whose constellation is named Qianfan, currently has only a few hundred satellites in orbit and is managed from Shanghai, the same report says.
Key facts
- BGR reports SpaceSail is targeting 10,000 satellites by 2030, up from a few hundred today.
- The constellation’s actual name is Qianfan; SpaceSail is the English name used. It is managed by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies Co Ltd, with government backing coming from Shanghai’s municipal government, BGR says.
- In August 2026 it was reported that the company behind the satellites had raised 7 billion yuan, about $1 billion, from investors including Shanghai Alliance Investment and CAS Star, taking its valuation to 50 billion yuan, or $7.4 billion, according to BGR.
- Qianfan was last added to on 15 September 2026, when a test satellite for larger throughput was launched, BGR reports. Second- and third-generation satellites are expected to begin launching in the coming months.
- A separate Chinese government-backed effort, the China Satellite Network Group’s GuoWang constellation, aims for 13,000 satellites and has launched regularly through 2026, with the last documented launch on 10 October, per BGR.
Why it matters
BGR frames the stakes plainly: for the last few years, satellite internet has effectively come down to doing business with Starlink or a few smaller companies, and SpaceSail is one of the first major pushes in the industry to attempt to dethrone that dominance. The same outlet says the 10,000-satellite goal is roughly the number Starlink already has in the sky.
The scale of what any challenger is chasing is visible in Starlink’s own numbers, including the subscriber and profit milestones covered in Starlink Hits 13.6M Subscribers as SpaceX Posts First Profit. SpaceSail also joins a growing list of state-linked projects pitched as alternatives, alongside efforts such as Ukraine Orbits First Satellite of Its Starlink Alternative and Canada’s Starlink alternative.
The speed gap, as reported
SpaceSail is currently flying first-generation satellites, which BGR says have been reported to beam 20 megabits per second of download speed and five megabits per second of upload speed to a cell phone. By comparison, BGR notes Starlink promises “up to 400+ Mbps anywhere,” while adding that the real figure depends on a customer’s location and hardware.
BGR’s conclusion is that the Chinese-made satellites are not up to SpaceX’s level yet. The report ties the expected improvement to the second- and third-generation satellites due in the coming months, but gives no performance targets for those newer models.
How big is Starlink’s fleet? Sources differ
The sources used here do not agree on Starlink’s size, in part because they were published 18 months apart. BGR’s October 2026 report puts the figure at roughly 10,000 satellites. In April 2025, ITWeb said the network consisted of more than 7,200 operational satellites, while eNCA reported more than 6,750 operational units serving over five million customers worldwide at the same moment.
Both 2025 reports agree SpaceX launched its first batch of Starlink satellites in 2019. eNCA also noted Starlink had provided internet access in disaster and war zones, including Morocco after its 2023 earthquake and on the front lines in Ukraine.
The wider field of challengers
SpaceSail is not the only company aiming at Starlink. ITWeb reported that Amazon launched the first 27 satellites of its Project Kuiper broadband constellation on 28 April 2025 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Project Kuiper is an initiative to build a constellation of more than 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit, with a stated mission of bringing fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities.
Gary Wentz, ULA vice-president of government and commercial programmes, called that launch an incredible milestone in Amazon’s initiative, ITWeb reported. eNCA, writing the day before the launch, listed Europe’s OneWeb and China’s Guowang constellation among the networks Kuiper’s satellites would join in low Earth orbit, which it described as the region of space up to 1,900 kilometres above the planet.
eNCA also reported that the increasing crowding of that orbital neighbourhood has sparked concerns about congestion, potential collisions and disruptions to astronomical observations.
What the reports do not say
None of these reports gives a launch date, price or coverage map for SpaceSail service outside China, and none names African markets. For readers in Zimbabwe and elsewhere on the continent weighing satellite options, the only pricing figures in these sources are OneLinQ’s dish costs and Starlink’s advertised speed claim; regulatory status in any African country is not addressed. Readers following licensing developments can see our coverage of Starlink Licence Stalls as ICASA Awaits a Law Change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will SpaceSail sell to home users or to businesses?
BGR reports that SpaceSail is not strictly a consumer service, and that its business model appears focused heavily on enterprise or business-level customers as well as international clients. The report does not name the countries or sectors involved.
What does a Chinese satellite internet dish cost?
BGR points to OneLinQ, which introduced satellite dishes for internet in 2024 at a service cost of around $4,000 at the time, now up to nearly $4,500. BGR gives no pricing at all for SpaceSail’s own service or hardware.
How much is Amazon spending on Project Kuiper, and what will it cost users?
eNCA described Project Kuiper as a $10 billion initiative in April 2025, with more than 80 flights booked through United Launch Alliance, France’s Arianespace, Blue Origin and SpaceX. eNCA said pricing had not yet been revealed, but that Amazon had pledged it would align with its reputation as a low-cost retailer.
What does the name Qianfan mean?
According to BGR, SpaceSail is only the English name; the constellation itself is called Qianfan, which translates literally as “thousand sails.” BGR says the project truly began in 2024, although the first devices came off the production line in 2023.
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