China's Xingyan constellation of 156 satellites will become one of the densest orbital networks for space traffic monitoring. The system will update orbits every two hours, record maneuvers, and warn of collision risks, reducing China's dependence on foreign data and increasing the safety of commercial operators. Combined with the recently launched Guangshi satellite, the country is creating an infrastructure comparable in functionality to the American GSSAP, radically changing the global balance of space affairs.

The Rise of the 'Starry Eye': How China is Building a New Surveillance System

China's space program has long since moved beyond launching useful satellites. It has entered a phase where information is becoming more important than hardware, and satellite tracking is the foundation of strategic autonomy. The deployment of Xingyan (Starry Eye) represents a shift toward a resilient orbital architecture, where every piece of space debris, every competing satellite, and every unexpected maneuver is recorded with high frequency.

The system is based on 156 satellites and is intended primarily for the commercial sector, but its scale and capabilities clearly place the project in the dual-use zone. This is standard practice: space surveillance always serves two purposes: infrastructure security and competitive analysis.

The developer, Xingtu Cekong, is creating the project as a specialized product for orbital situational monitoring. Interestingly, it is a spinoff of Zhongke Xingtu, an Anhui-based company that has become one of the centers of China's geospatial industry in recent years. It is precisely these organizations that are forming a new layer of the space economy: private, but operating at a level close to that of the state.

How the new system works: update frequency, sensors, and the role of AI

Xingyan will update the objects' positions every two hours. This means the new system functions as an orbital control tower: it not only monitors but also assesses the likelihood of collisions and offers avoidance recommendations. With thousands of new satellites launched annually, such a frequency of updates is critical.

Each satellite is equipped with a set of optical and infrared cameras, multispectral sensors, and electromagnetic sensors. This allows it to record not only the position of objects but also their motion, reflectivity, thermal signature, and possible deviations. The data is first analyzed onboard and then sent to Earth for final processing. The system then issues instructions back to orbit. This cycle is typical of modern autonomous observation systems and is used in various space projects—it is an analytical assumption based on the typical structure of such systems.

AI plays a key role. Its tasks include automatic object classification, trajectory prediction, and early detection of potentially hazardous situations. Essentially, AI becomes an algorithmic controller, viewing orbits more accurately than humans can in real time. This reduces operator reaction times and the likelihood of errors, which are costly in space.

Deployment schedule: what will happen by 2028

According to current plans, the first 12 satellites will be launched in 2027. This will allow for connectivity testing, data quality assessment, and algorithm validation on early near-miss events. Full deployment by 2028 will create a global network capable of monitoring low-orbit activity with high accuracy and bihourly updates.

The company is also considering switching to a 30-minute update period. This isn't a confirmed fact, but rather a promise from the developer. If the technology proves stable, the update frequency will allow the system to approach continuous monitoring—an important parameter for preventing collisions with debris, the number of which is increasing annually.

Chinese Competition Kicks Off: The Role of the Guangshi System

Xingtu Cekong isn't the only company working on monitoring in China. In September, Kaiyun-1, the first satellite in the Guangshi constellation operated by Beijing Kaiyun United, was launched. This system will provide an additional monitoring layer and will consist of 24 satellites. In practice, this means the creation of another observation network, focused on both civilian and commercial applications. Its structure is closer to high-speed monitoring than broad coverage, but the two systems complement each other.

In essence, China is creating two independent but synchronized tracking networks. This solution increases reliability, expands the types of orbits covered, and reduces dependence on foreign data sources. This is especially relevant given that the United States has its own observation ecosystem—GSSAP, consisting of five satellites in geostationary orbit. Chinese systems don't yet reach this altitude in the literal sense, but their density in low orbits is becoming a competitive advantage.

Why is this important now?

Space has become so dense that surveillance is becoming an infrastructural necessity. Orbits are cluttered not only with operational satellites but also with debris. Some of this debris forms chaotic trajectories and can intersect the paths of active satellites. The number of potentially dangerous objects is growing faster than new methods for their destruction are being developed.

In the 1990s, researchers were already talking about the impending congestion of orbit, but the massive number of projects in the 2010s and 2020s, including massive communications constellations, accelerated the process. Now, the space environment requires constant assessment. Ground-based radars and telescopes can no longer cope alone. They need orbital assistants—satellites that can look down on the chaotic trajectories of other spacecraft.

China, the US, and parts of Europe are forming their own observation bubbles, which is gradually changing the nature of the space industry. Space is becoming a domain where each major country strives to control the situation independently.

Dual-use systems: benefits and risks

Surveillance technologies inevitably become dual-use tools. On the one hand, they help commercial operators protect their equipment. On the other, they provide the opportunity to observe the maneuvers of other countries. Xingyan, like GSSAP, can detect not only debris but also the movements of competing satellites, analyze anomalous approaches, and verify whether orbital conduct norms are violated.

This creates a new reality in which each country strives to increase the transparency of space, while maintaining its advantage in access to data.

Result: New Space Control Architecture

The deployment of Xingyan is more than just the launch of another satellite network. It's a step toward a new world where orbital security becomes an element of national strategy and private companies play the role of critical infrastructure operators. The combination of monitoring, AI, multispectral sensors, and high update rates makes the project one of the most ambitious in the world.

China gains a tool that reduces its dependence on foreign data, improves control over its space, and shapes the future architecture for safe orbital operations. Commercial operators, meanwhile, gain access to a higher-quality resource that minimizes collision risks and extends satellite lifespans.

By Miles Harrington 
December 08, 2025

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