Geely-04 (space satellites)

History

2025: Satellite Launch

On August 9, 2025, a Smart Dragon-3 launch vehicle was launched in Shandong Province in East China. She successfully launched 11 Geely-04 spacecraft into the planned orbit to organize automotive communications.

The Smart Dragon-3 rocket launched from an offshore platform near the city of Zhizhao. The mission was controlled by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The Smart Dragon-3 is a four-stage solid fuel carrier developed and operated by China Rocket Co. Ltd., a commercial division of the China Rocket Research Institute. The rocket is capable of delivering a payload weighing up to 1,500 kg to a 500 km high sun-synchronous orbit.

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Фото: Reutres

Geely's satellite program is overseen by its aerospace division Geespace, created in 2018 to form a constellation of spacecraft in low Earth orbit. These satellites are used to support the autonomous driving platform, high-precision positioning and global communications. In addition, satellites can be used for remote sensing of the Earth, in particular, for observing the ocean. Geely intends to deploy more than 70 satellites by the end of 2025, and in the long term plans to create a network of almost 6,000 spacecraft.

The project is part of Beijing's large-scale program to develop the commercial space industry. China is developing meteorological, telecommunications and navigation satellites, as well as technologies designed to explore the moon. Both state and private companies are actively involved in the creation of spacecraft. So, with the support of the authorities, Chinese specialists are implementing projects for the study of asteroids and Mars.^[1]

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