Building a Warm Nest Amid the Commercial Space “Heat Wave”

Located in the Haidian Yongfeng area, adjacent to China’s Aerospace City, a Beijing satellite town centered on the aerospace industry is accelerating from blueprint to reality. The core area of the satellite town is scheduled for completion and operation in the second half of this year.

Core Area Plans 540,000 Square Meters of Industrial Space

Commercial launches now account for over 60% of space launches, a batch of companies are intensively pushing for IPOs, the number of private satellites in orbit has surpassed that of the “national team,” and financing news for commercial space enterprises frequently appears in reports… The year 2026 marks the “first year of the race” for China’s commercial space sector. This “heat wave” of commercial space is particularly evident in Zhongguancun Science City, the core area for the “Northern Stars” within Beijing’s “Southern Rockets, Northern Stars” industrial layout.

With accelerated launch approvals, faster localization of core components, and continued investment from industrial funds, the industry is entering a fast track of standardization and scaling up. The trillion-yuan market potential of China’s commercial space sector will be further unleashed. “Scenarios like low-orbit constellation networking, satellite internet, space computing power, and 6G integrated space-air-ground networks are accelerating their implementation, with continued growth expected in 2026.”

“The construction of our Tianqi Phase II constellation will commence in the second half of this year, offering a significant improvement in communication capabilities compared to the Phase I constellation. Over the next two to three years, the company’s talent demand will at least double.” With the constellation’s expansion, the company’s demand for talent in areas like satellite system design and constellation operation management will at least double.

The Beijing satellite town under construction will undoubtedly provide support to transition this fervor from “hot” to “stable”—by fostering industrial agglomeration, allowing talent, capital, and technology to flow efficiently within a smaller spatial scale.

At the eastern gate of Beiqing Road, next to China’s Aerospace City, the core area of the Beijing satellite town under construction plans approximately 540,000 square meters of industrial space. According to the plan, the satellite town’s core area will focus on four major sectors: satellite R&D, satellite operations, satellite applications, and a satellite talent community, along with three centers: a satellite exhibition center, a satellite exchange center, and a satellite acceleration and incubation center, to achieve synergistic empowerment. Supporting facilities including over a thousand sets of talent apartments, tens of thousands of square meters of commercial facilities, and hotel conference centers will enable seamless integration of “work + life + innovation.”

Pilot Zone Has Gathered Over 40 Commercial Space Enterprises

A Tianqi emergency distress terminal, about half the size of an adult’s palm, allows the user to press the power button to send real-time location signals and other distress information outward, even when in the wilderness or at sea with no communication signal. Through the terminal device, users can easily send distress signals globally via satellite, whether at the peak of Mount Everest or the depths of the Mariana Trench, truly realizing “the world is but a neighborhood.”

Behind this is the support of a “space communication network.” In May last year, the first phase of the “Tianqi Constellation,” China’s first low-orbit satellite Internet of Things constellation independently built and operated, completed its global network deployment. This constellation has already found applications in fields such as energy, oceanography, meteorology, and logistics. At sea, containers equipped with Tianqi satellite communication terminals address the pain point of no network signals in ocean transportation; outdoors, the Tianqi emergency distress terminal allows hiking enthusiasts to send a distress signal with one button in uninhabited areas; in ecological protection, miniature terminals attached to migratory birds are helping university research teams track bird migration routes.

Not far away, within the Zhongguancun One park, the commercial vehicle “Fengxing-1,” independently developed to perform small satellite orbit transfer, multi-orbit deployment, and precise multi-satellite networking, has recently entered the comprehensive assembly and testing phase. It is planned for launch in the second half of this year to begin a new journey of on-orbit verification missions.

It is understood that as the pilot zone of the Beijing satellite town, Zhongguancun One has currently gathered over 40 commercial space enterprises

Haidian Yongfeng area

<div class="

Haidian Yongfeng area

The Haidian Yongfeng area is located in Beijing’s Haidian District and is a modern hub for technology and innovation, best known as the heart of China’s Silicon Valley, Zhongguancun. Historically, the wider Haidian area was renowned for its classical gardens and academic institutions, with Yongfeng evolving in recent decades into a central base for leading tech companies and research parks. This transformation reflects Beijing’s shift from a historical cultural center to a global leader in science and technology.

China’s Aerospace City

China’s Aerospace City, officially known as the Beijing Aerospace City, is a major research, development, and launch command center for China’s space program. Established in the late 1950s, it has been the headquarters for milestone missions like the Shenzhou crewed spacecraft and the Chang’e lunar exploration program. It symbolizes China’s advancements and long-term ambitions in space exploration and technology.

Beijing satellite town

“Beijing satellite towns” refer to planned urban expansions built around the capital to alleviate population density and decentralize functions, with major development phases occurring from the mid-20th century onward. Examples like Tongzhou (now a sub-city administrative center) and Daxing were historically agricultural areas transformed into integrated hubs for residence, industry, and transportation. This strategy reflects China’s ongoing urban planning efforts to manage growth and create more balanced metropolitan regions.

Zhongguancun Science City

Zhongguancun Science City, located in Beijing, is a major technology hub often called “China’s Silicon Valley.” It originated in the 1980s as an experimental zone for electronics markets and high-tech research, evolving from a cluster of academic institutions. Today, it is a state-sponsored innovation center housing thousands of tech firms, startups, and research parks, driving advancements in fields like AI, biotechnology, and information technology.

Tianqi Constellation

“Tianqi Constellation” is not a widely recognized historical place or cultural site. It is likely a reference to a modern commercial or artistic project, such as a building complex, a themed development, or perhaps a brand name. Without more specific context, it is not possible to provide a historical summary.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest, located in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and Tibet, is the world’s highest peak at 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet). It was first successfully summited in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, though its significance has been recognized for centuries in local cultures, where it is known as *Sagarmatha* in Nepal and *Chomolungma* in Tibet. Today, it is a major destination for mountaineers, symbolizing both extreme human challenge and natural grandeur.

Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench is the deepest known point in Earth’s oceans, located in the western Pacific Ocean. It was formed by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Mariana Plate, a process ongoing for millions of years. Its deepest section, Challenger Deep, was first measured in 1875 and reached by humans in a manned descent in 1960.

Zhongguancun One

Zhongguancun One is a modern commercial and technological complex located in Beijing’s Haidian District, often called China’s “Silicon Valley.” It was developed as a landmark project to symbolize and further the area’s role as the national hub for innovation and high-tech industries. The site reflects the evolution of Zhongguancun from an electronics market district into a globally recognized center for research, startups, and major tech corporations.