Development of the Tiantong-01 satellite began after the massive earthquake in Wenchuan in 2008. It aims to significantly enhance China’s mobile telecommunication capabilities. The satellite was designed by the China Academy of Space Technology and its ground service will be operated by China Telecom. It will establish a mobile network with ground facilities, providing services for China, the Middle East, Africa and other areas.

Tiantong-01: Aiming for enhanced telecom capabilities

The Tiantong-01 will be able to provide emergency telecommunications when ground telecom infrastructure is damaged, following, for example, natural disasters. It can also potentially be useful in oil exploration on the seabed and the protection of forests as it can provide seamless coverage of oceans, mountains and plateaus.