Beijing Satellite Town 2026: China's trillion-yuan weapon to overtake US in space race

In a bid to get ahead of the United States (U.S.) in an already intensified space race, China is all set to launch a specialised hub for satellite manufacturers and operators that will be known as Beijing’s Satellite Town.

According to the state-run Beijing Daily, China plans to complete the town in the second half of 2026.

This comes amid the U.S. intensifying its efforts to land humans back on the moon before China and has put two billionaires’ companies (SpaceX of Elon Musk and Blue Origin of Jeff Bezos) in a race to build a moon lander first for future Artemis missions, including Artemis IV mission planned for 2028.

China has also announced plans to build a moon base by landing astronauts on the moon by 2030 and establish the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) at the lunar south pole by 2035.

The proposed satellite hub would enhance China’s space program by bringing together engineers, satellite operators and manufacturers in a single location, improving coordination and operational efficiency.

China has gained significant momentum in its space technology as nearly 60 percent of all space launches are now commercial and many companies are seeking public listings to secure partnerships and generate more revenue.

Head of the Strategic Research Department at Future Aerospace, Gao Yibin, said that China’s trillion-yuan commercial space market is moving towards stabilisation and scale due to acceleration in launch approvals and localisation of components.

He added that 6G air-space-ground integration suggests sustained ​growth in the aerospace industry is expected in 2026.

The Satellite Town is expected to further accelerate the already growing industry.