China Launches 10 Internet Satellites in First Step toward Guowang Constellation

China has taken its first step toward building the Guowang satellite constellation, launching 10 internet satellites into orbit on Monday to compete with SpaceX's Starlink for global high-speed internet coverage.

The first group of Guowang internet satellites was launched on Monday aboard a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province, southern China.

The satellites are part of a larger plan to deploy 13,000 satellites over the next decade to deliver low-latency, high-speed internet worldwide, mirroring SpaceX's Starlink network.