Tiantong (Chinese: 天通) is China's first mobile communications satellite system. The first satellite Tiantong-1-01 was launched on August 6, 2016 (UTC+8).

Background

The plan to develop mobile communication satellite system in China has been proposed for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s, the scientists in China put forward that the development of satellite mobile communication was an inevitable requirement for a large country with a vast territory, uneven population distribution and frequent natural disasters. When the Wenchuan earthquake occurred, all terrestrial communication systems were down, relying only on the leased foreign satellite telephone link to maintain communication with the outside world. After the Wenchuan earthquake, the state proposed to build its own mobile communication satellite. Its first task is to ensure that when China suffered from severe natural disasters they could use emergency communications, to fill the gaps in the national military and civilian autonomous satellite mobile communications services.[1][2]

In July 2008, Sun Jiadong and Shen Rongjun (沈荣骏) jointly called for the acceleration of China's independent satellite mobile communication system. After more than three years of demonstration and design by several departments and units in the country, in September 2011, China's first satellite mobile communication system Tiantong-1 satellite mobile communication system project was officially launched.[2]

System Composition

Tiantong-1 satellite mobile communication system is China's self-developed and built satellite mobile communication system, but also an important part of China's space information infrastructure. The system consists of space segment, ground segment and user terminal. The space segment plans to consist of several geosynchronous orbit mobile communication satellites.[3]

Function

According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., the task of the satellite system is to provide all-weather, all-time, stable and reliable mobile communication services to users in China and its surrounding areas, the Middle East, Africa and most parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans.[4]

China Telecom has used this satellite network system to provide satellite telephone operation services in China.[5][6][7] The Huawei Mate60 series smartphones released on August 29, 2023 have a built-in satellite phone function based on this satellite network.[8]

Tiantong-1 Satellite List

Satellite Launch Date (UTC+8) COSPAR ID Launch Site Rocket Orbit Status
Tiantong-1 01 August 6, 2016, 00:22[9] 2016-048A[10] Xichang Long March 3B GTO Operational
Tiantong-1 02 November 12, 2020, 23:59[11] 2020-082A[12]
Tiantong-1 03 January 20, 2021, 00:25[13] 2021-003A[12]

References

  1. ^ "中国首个自主建设卫星通信系统上线：电信运营 1000块包年". 快科技. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  2. ^ a b "不再受制于人！揭秘中国首个卫星移动通信系统 -中新网". www.chinanews.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  3. ^ "我国卫星移动通信系统首发星天通一号01星成功发射_新闻_腾讯网". news.qq.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  4. ^ 陈柳兵. "Rocket carries satellite into space". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  5. ^ "天通一号卫星移动通信的由来与发展". www.ctmuseum.cn. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  6. ^ "天通卫星业务_天通一号_卫星通信 - 天翼云". products (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  7. ^ "三星组网覆盖亚太 自主可控功能更强——航天科技集团五院研制的天通一号01、02、03星成功组网记_中国航天科技集团". www.spacechina.com. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  8. ^ "为华为Mate 60 Pro提供卫星通话服务，天通卫星系统亮相服贸会". Yangcheng Evening News. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  9. ^ 谢, 瑞强 (2016). "我国卫星移动通信系统首发星"天通一号"发射成功". 中国航天 (8): 9. ISSN 1002-7742.
  10. ^ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  11. ^ "我国成功发射天通一号02星-新华网". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  12. ^ a b "Tiantong-1 01, 02, 03, 04". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  13. ^ "我国成功发射天通一号03星 中国航天发射迎来2021年开门红-新华网". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
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