According to Xinhua, the first satellite of the Gande satellite cluster was successfully launched by the Lijian-1 commercial rocket, marking the launch of China's first commercial satellite cluster project specializing in monitoring space debris.
Mr. Fan Wei - Project Chief Engineer, said that the launch is an important step in strengthening the capacity to monitor space debris and manage space traffic.
The project is developed by ATmoto technology company and is expected to be completed before 2030. The entire system will include 120 satellites, deployed in three phases.
The first phase, named LX630, will deploy 14 satellites jointly developed by Liangxi Aerospace and ATmoto Technology Groups. The satellites are designed to monitor and catalog objects on low, medium and high Earth orbits.
According to the development unit, the first satellite is integrated with AI-assisted computers, allowing automatic performance of periodic monitoring, emergency tracking and target tracking tasks without regular ground intervention.
Satellites are also capable of changing orbits to observe objects at close range and perform complex missions in orbit.
The need to monitor space debris is increasingly urgent as the number of satellites, rocket launches and space exploration activities are constantly increasing.
According to reports, there are currently more than 1 million space debris larger than 1 cm, capable of damaging spacecraft. These debris move at a speed of about 7.9 km/second, creating a very high risk of collision.
Previously, the Shenzhou spacecraft program and Tiangong space station also recorded incidents related to orbital debris. In 2025, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft had to extend its stay on the space station due to damage to the return compartment window after colliding with space debris.
In 2024, the Shenzhou-17 crew made two spacewalks to repair solar panels of the Tiangong core module after being damaged by orbital debris.
According to Xinhua, the Gande project is one of the new efforts to strengthen space debris monitoring and reduce the risk of collisions on orbit.
According to the plan, phase two will add 36 satellites integrating high-resolution image sensors and electromagnetic environmental sensors. Phase three will deploy 70 more AI-applied satellites to identify objects, analyze behavior and support automatic decision-making.
