Chinese low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator Geespace has launched an additional 11 satellites, advancing beyond the halfway mark of its first phase constellation deployment. The satellites were launched from Shandong Province aboard a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) rocket, nearly a year after the company’s previous launch in September 2024.
Geespace, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group founded in 2018, now operates 41 LEO satellites in orbit, with plans to add 23 more within the next two months. The company aims to deploy 72 satellites by the end of 2025 for the first phase, which will focus on IoT connectivity services.
Following this, the second phase will introduce 264 satellites for device-to-device (D2D) satellite communications, and the third phase will see a total of 5,676 satellites launched to provide high-speed broadband services.
In June 2024, Geespace conducted its first network test outside China with Oman-based Azyan Telecom. In April 2025, it partnered with Malaysia’s Altel Group to form a joint venture delivering LEO connectivity, satellite IoT, high-precision positioning, and localized ground infrastructure development across Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
