China is expanding its edge computing and space activities through the Three-Body Constellation, targeting roughly 2,800 satellites as part of ongoing experimentation with advanced capabilities.

By early December 2025, China had more than 1,300 satellites in orbit, including two megaconstellations, and began testing proliferated systems, AI on orbit, and automated ship detection from space.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission notes that while the United States leads in reusable launch systems and LEO constellations, China is deploying an industrial policy to close the gap as SpaceX dominates markets and Starlink expands.

China is pursuing a reusable rocket program with a target to fly a reusable liquid-propellant launch vehicle by mid-2026, following partial attempts in 2025, while the United States records successful orbital booster landings by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

U.S. Space Force and intelligence communities view China as pursuing a whole-of-government strategy to become the world’s leading space power, with emphasis on satellite communications, remote sensing, reusable rocketry, and AI-enabled space operations.

China completed 73 space launch missions in 2025, mainly using Long March rockets, and deployed over 300 spacecraft, signaling accelerated growth and a state-driven startup ecosystem in its space program.

Filings to the UN ITU suggest Chinese firms are eyeing more than 200,000 satellites across multiple orbits, signaling long-term strategic planning for orbital resources and spectrum.

There is a shift in space domain awareness from a geostationary ‘cat-and-mouse’ dynamic to a low Earth orbit ‘hide-and-seek’ dynamic, with China leveraging commercial spacecraft for non-Earth imaging of U.S. assets in 2025.

China kicked off 2026 with its first orbital launch: Long March 6A carrying a remote sensing satellite from Taiyuan, followed soon after by Long March 8A from Wenchang, as part of a busy early-year schedule supported by U.S. ranges on both coasts.