Chinese space firm GalaxySpace delivers first turnkey satellite system to Thailand

Beijing-based GalaxySpace has delivered and launched a complete satellite system for Thailand's space agency, marking what the company says is the first turnkey satellite export by a Chinese commercial space firm to a Southeast Asian customer.

The Lingzhi-09 Thailand CubeSat lifted off Tuesday aboard a Long March-6C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province, sharing the ride with six other satellites. Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) commissioned the CubeSat to gather remote-sensing data for land, agriculture and ecological applications, and to support hands-on training for Thai university students.

Integrated service model

GalaxySpace handled the full development cycle, including satellite construction, launch logistics and orbital deployment as a packaged solution, a capability the company says demonstrates the Chinese commercial space sector's ability to deliver integrated services covering satellite delivery, operations and training.

The deal went beyond hardware supply. GalaxySpace provided GISTDA with the spacecraft, ground system and personnel training in a single contract. Thai personnel travelled to China for instruction, while GalaxySpace later dispatched teams to Thailand to assist with ground system construction and testing.

Yang Kuan, an associate professor at Beijing Institute of Technology and deputy director of its Institute of Aerospace Policy and Law, told the Beijing-based Financial News newspaper that Chinese commercial space companies are shifting "from exporting products towards exporting services and ecosystems," converting satellite technology into end-to-end service offerings for overseas markets.

Competition for orbital dominance

The Thailand deal arrives as China's commercial space sector accelerates satellite constellation deployment and overseas expansion in a challenge to Elon Musk's SpaceX and its Starlink project. GalaxySpace holds the distinction of being China's first commercial space unicorn, a start-up valued at US$1 billion or more.

The mission positions China as a supplier not only of space hardware but of complete operational ecosystems for developing nations seeking satellite capacity without building expertise from scratch.

Source: South China Morning Post