'Space factory' mass produces satellites in East China

A milestone came on June 13, when six Huantian Constellation satellites rolled off the production line, including four SAR radar satellites and two optical satellites. The batch is scheduled to launch in the near future.

Shi attributed the efficiency leap to two core strengths: self-developed modular satellite platforms and Wuxi's complete local industrial supply chain. Almost all tiny components, even small screws for satellites, can be sourced locally.

The local government also set up a dedicated service team to coordinate infrastructure construction, transportation and supporting facilities for the space factory.

"Mass production of satellites is a revolutionary upgrade for China's space infrastructure," said Bi Hui, professor at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. "Large-scale low-orbit satellite constellations are urgently needed for national space internet, and this smart base greatly cuts development cycles and costs."

Official industrial data shows that by the end of 2025, Wuxi had gathered 325 commercial aerospace enterprises, among which 52 large-scale firms posted total revenue of 14.48 billion yuan. Wuxi High-tech Zone has built a complete industrial chain covering rockets, satellites, ground terminals and space data services, gathering 30 key aerospace enterprises with a total industrial output exceeding 2 billion yuan.

Shi said, with continuous upgrades to automated manufacturing, the factory aims to shorten the production cycle further, eventually producing one satellite per day.