China's Space Ambition Takes Off: What Thailand's Deal Reveals About Global Competition The launch of GalaxySpace's Lingzhi 09 satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province marks a significant milestone for China's commercial space sector.
The deployment of this turnkey satellite to Thailand represents a strategic expansion of China's influence in Southeast Asia and underscores its ambitions to rival SpaceX's Starlink project.
The deal between GalaxySpace, a Beijing based company, and the Government Satellite Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand marks a departure from traditional export models.