Genesat (Qianfan, G60, Thousand Sails)

The Shanghai government has expressed backing for a broadband megaconstellation consisting of an initial 1,296 satellites.

• 108 sats to be launched in 2024 to form initial commercial service capabilities.

• China could be planning a second broadband megaconstellation.
• G60: the Story of China's Other Starlink Competitor, Dongfang Hour, 2023-09-10.
• Like a G60 — What’s China Planning with its Other NGSO? 2023-07-27.
• Some confusion with the company name, because Google does not translate it well. Shanghai Gesi Aerospace Technology? Gerth Aerospace?
• Shanghai Gesi Aerospace Technology raises $85 million, 2023-12-04.
• Megaconstellations on Twitter:
  • It is worth mentioning that G60's orbital geometry is a copy of 3ECOM-1/3, the ITU filing formerly Kleo Connect and now Rivada Space intends to use.
  • Details on China's "SAILSPACE-1" ITU filing believed to be for G60:
    • 36 polar orbital planes with 36 sats each = 1296 sats
    • Ku, Q & V band
    • 1160 km
    • While avoiding Rivada Space's frequencies, the orbital geometry is a copy of 3ECOM-1/3 but with more sats.
• First satellite for Chinese G60 megaconstellation rolls off assembly line, SpaceNews, 2023-12-29.
• Shanghai firm behind G60 megaconstellation raises $943 million, SpaceNews, 2024-02-02.
• The Story of GeeSpace, China Space Monitor, 2024-02-29.
• @Megaconstellati As China launches first G60/Qianfan sats, here's some background:
  • They claim ownership of @rivadaspace's ITU filing.
  • They claim ownership of the @KleoConnect prototypes.
  • They filed a Ku&Q band constellation (SAILSPACE-1).
• Chinese megaconstellation launch creates field of space debris, 2024-08-08.
• Satellite manufacturer for Chinese megaconstellation secures $137 million funding, SpaceNews, 2024-12-30. Spacesail aims to construct a 14,000-satellite constellation, with the aim of having around 600 satellites in orbit by the end of 2025. 
• The second batch was built by Genesat, whereas the first and third were built by SECM, The China Space Monitor, 2024-12-31.
• Andrew Jones, 2025-03-28: "Signed a contract for the second phase of its sat manufacturing plant in Shanghai's Songjiang district, which will be capable of producing 150 satellites of ~1,000 kg per year, and 300 satellites below 500kg, with a production cycle of one satellite per day."
• Blaine Curcio: First-gen satellites from Thousand Sails have a mass of 267kg. Second-gen satellites are expected to have a mass of 400-500kg, while third-gen satellites will have a mass of some 1.5 tons.