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How many satellites does China have?

As of October 17, 2026, China owns 1,467 active satellites, 8.6% of the world's 17,101 and the 2nd most of any country. The biggest single group is Qianfan, with 235 satellites (16% of the total).

1,467

Active satellites

8.6%

Of the world total

2nd

Rank among countries

Launches in 2025

City lights on Earth at night seen from the International Space Station, with station hardware in the foreground — The city lights of Shanghai, China, photographed from the International Space Station on August 20, 2024. Photo: NASA.

What they do

Communications accounts for 604 of China's active satellites (41%).

Communications604 (41.2%)
Earth imaging316 (21.5%)
Signals intelligence125 (8.5%)
Navigation117 (8.0%)
Technology demonstration92 (6.3%)
Weather88 (6.0%)

Where they orbit

Upper low Earth orbit (600 to 2,000 km)728 (49.6%)
Lower low Earth orbit (80 to 600 km)585 (39.9%)
Geosynchronous orbit101 (6.9%)
Medium Earth orbit38 (2.6%)
Highly elliptical orbit5 (0.3%)

Who operates them

The largest operators, and the largest families of satellites, owned by China.

By operator

Zhongguo Xingwang251 (17.1%)
Yuanxin WK235 (16.0%)
PLA SSF84 (5.7%)
CNSA71 (4.8%)
PLA GAD71 (4.8%)
Changguang WJ66 (4.5%)

By satellite family

Qianfan235 (16.0%)
WHDW222 (15.1%)
Yaogan141 (9.6%)
Geely60 (4.1%)
Jilin59 (4.0%)

Operator names are as written in GCAT, usually transliterated from the original language. Families group satellites by the first word of their name.

How the fleet has grown

At the end of 2005, China had 49 payloads in Earth orbit. By the end of 2025 it had 1,322.

Payloads owned by China in Earth orbit at the end of each year, working or not.

Launches

China has made 808 orbital launch attempts since its first in 1970, and 92 of them in 2025. Its busiest year was 2025 with 92.

Orbital launch attempts by China each year. 2026 is partial, through October 16.

Sources and method

GCAT by Jonathan McDowell, CC BY 4.0. Updated October 17, 2026. Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat).
Active means GCAT lists the satellite as working or possibly still transmitting, a status GCAT says is often a guess. Ownership is by the owner's country, not the launch country.