The Jilin-1 Constellation: China's Commercial Eye in the Sky

The Jilin-1 Constellation: China's Commercial Eye in the Sky

On October 7, 2015, four satellites lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 2D rocket and entered sun-synchronous orbit over the Earth. None weighed more than 230 kilograms. The four were the first members of a constellation that, within a decade, would grow to well over a hundred spacecraft, redefine China's commercial space sector, and draw serious scrutiny from defense analysts across three continents.