China is moving closer to fulfilling its goal of establishing what is described as a "mega-constellation" of internet satellites, as it successfully launched into space earlier this week its first communications equipment with flexible solar wing designed to maximise use of energy from the sun.

Lingxi 03 was carried into space by a Long March 2D rocket that lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, southwest of the Chinese capital, according to China Daily.

Lingxi 03 will further test new technologies, as it races full-speed with its plan to put into the space's low-Earth orbit as many as 13,000 broadband communication satellites rivaling Elon Musk's Starlink network.

Three remote-sensing satellites were also sent to space with the same rocket launch, meant to observe the Earth in the "radar, optical and infrared" wavebands for even clearer and sharper images.

According to reports, China wants to establish its so-called "megaconstellation" of satellites known as Guo Wang, which translates into state network, with the launch of the first batch of its satellites later this year.

At present, Musk's Starlink has the most commercial broadband satellites with more than 4,400 already in orbit. It is also reportedly awaiting approval from US regulators to launch a further 30,000 of its satellites.

As of December 2022, Starlink said that its service had already reached at least one million global subscribers, highlighting the company's commercial viability.

Combined with the envisioned Guo Wang satellites, the low Earth orbit will be looking very different and much busier in the next five to 10 years.

'Flexible solar wing'

In a statement posted in its company website, Zhu Zhengxian, chief technology officer of GalaxySpace, was quoted as saying that Lingxi 03 is the first in China to use a flexible solar wing.

"It is extremely thin — each layer on it is only about one millimeter thick and when the wing was folded inside the rocket (before the launch), its overall thickness was only five centimeters," he said.

"When fully unfolded in space, the array stretches to a length of about nine meters and a width of above 2.5 meters. It is characterised by a small folded size, light weight and modular design."

Unlike previous satellites, that have a pair of "wings", the Lingxi 03 also features only one "wing".

The design makes it easier to store and transport, while at the same time capable of absorbing more solar energy.

Such technology was only used exclusively by the state's own space station, Tiangong, according to a CCTV report.

Another first for Lingxi 03 is its adoption of "integral casting technology", making it easier for its manufacturer to mass produce it in the future.

The launch was China's 30th this year and also the 479th flight of the Long March rockets - the same rocket the country is using to launch its space station and other satellites.

Global implications

With the success of Lingxi 03's launch, GalaxySpace executive Zhu said he expects the acceleration of the development of stackable flat-panel satellites that could be launched in the coming months and years.

The government itself is boosting the production of Long March rockets to help it meet the capacity it requires to launch its entire constellation.

To do so, it is building a new facility and launch pads at Wenchang Spaceport on Hainan island, according to news reports.

Writing for the security and defence think tank Royal United Services Institute, analyst Juliana Suess said that the space information corridor China has established could allow it to boost its influence globally, especially in developing countries.

These developments in space "may lead to a leapfrogging moment where African countries opt for the Chinese internet constellation over Western providers due to the fact that much of their infrastructure is already Chinese-built."

For instance, she pointed out that that 70 percent of Africa's 4G infrastructure is already built by the Chinese company, Huawei, "which would suggest that plugging into satellite-enabled internet would require comparatively little additional effort".

The political debate aside, China's acceleration of the launching of broadband internet is expected to bring economic windfall to the country.

Suess said that Guo Wang "is seen as a potential commercial opportunity for China, where growth in the private sector is still relatively recent."

"One of the reasons that now might be a good time to invest can be seen in the current shortcomings of Starlink, such as rising prices for customers – particularly in Ukraine," she said.

"If this trend continues, prospective customers may begin looking for cheaper alternatives."

And that can be a good thing for China.