On the final day of the 2026 Spring Festival holiday, production was already in full swing at Shanghai Xuntian Qianhe Space Technology Co., Ltd., where 20 satellites have entered a critical development phase.
The company settled in Songjiang in 2024, generating 3 million yuan (US$432,277) in revenue that year. Revenue rose to 30 million yuan in 2025, and the firm is aiming to exceed 100 million yuan in 2026, according to Jiang Wei, deputy general manager of the company.
Xuntian Qianhe reflects the growing momentum of Songjiang’s satellite internet industry. In the district’s emerging industrial landscape, commercial space, led by satellite internet, is expanding rapidly. Songjiang is focusing on the full industrial chain covering satellites, rockets, terminals and network systems, positioning itself in what is expected to become a trillion-yuan industry.
The booming Xuntian Qianhe has the capability to design and develop satellites ranging from 100-kilogram-class to ton-class models, with an annual production capacity of around 50 satellites. Previously, components for a low-Earth orbit remote sensing satellite produced by the company were sourced from suppliers across China.
Today, in Songjiang alone, it can partner with nine local upstream suppliers to meet the needs for power systems, thermal control systems, structural materials, and more.
Jiuting Town, where the company is based, is accelerating the development of a commercial satellite and terminal application industrial cluster. By leveraging leading enterprises and carrying out investment promotion efforts across the country, the town has introduced 16 satellite internet companies. The total number of upstream and downstream enterprises in Songjiang’s commercial space industrial chain has reached 58.
“We will build a public testing platform, establish an industrial fund matrix, and form an industry application alliance,” said Lu Xuefeng, Party secretary of Jiuting Town. He added that the town will support both leading enterprises and high-performing small and medium-sized firms in niche segments to foster coordinated development.
According to a local government plan, by 2027 Songjiang aims to attract three to five internationally influential leading enterprises in commercial satellite industry and more than 100 industrial chain companies, with total industry output exceeding 30 billion yuan. Output is expected to surpass 50 billion yuan by 2030 and reach 100 billion yuan by 2035.
In 2020, satellite internet was included in China’s new infrastructure initiative and elevated to a national strategic project.
One of China’s key low-Earth orbit satellite internet constellations, the Qianfan Constellation operated by Songjiang-based Yuanxin Satellite, has launched 108 satellites into orbit, with long-term plans to deploy more than 15,000 satellites.
Reducing costs is seen as critical to advancing commercial space development. Genesat, a major satellite developer for the Qianfan Constellation, has completed multiple “one rocket, 18 satellites” launches and recently finished full-process testing of a 36-satellite combined payload. The Songjiang-based company exemplifies the district’s competitive edge in low-cost, large-scale and high-frequency satellite production.
As more satellites enter orbit, the constellation’s applications are expanding. At the end of last year, it signed an agreement with Airbus to provide high-speed broadband services for the aviation sector. Earlier this year, it began pilot applications in marine surveying.
In the latest round of industrial policies, Songjiang introduced comprehensive support measures for commercial space, aligning with municipal-level policies. The measures cover fixed-asset investment in satellites, rockets, ground equipment and terminals, while also supporting joint innovation, testing and validation platforms, data operation services and coordinated procurement across the supply chain to lower barriers to scaling up production and commercialization.
Financial institutions have also launched tailored products to support the sector. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China offers loans of up to 100 million yuan per enterprise under a specific program for Songjiang’s satellite industry players. Similarly, China Construction Bank has set up a 3-billion-yuan satellite chain loan facility. Ping An Property and Casualty Insurance has introduced full life-cycle insurance coverage for satellites, from pre-launch to in-orbit operation.
A recent report by the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID) suggests that China’s commercial space industry is developing rapidly across the entire industrial chain and may enter a mature stage toward the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030) or during the 16th Five-Year Plan (2031–2035).
An official with the district’s economic commission said, Songjiang will strengthen coordination between municipal and district-level authorities, better utilize policy resources at both levels, and improve project promotion mechanisms. The district will also foster industrial clustering through ecosystem-oriented development, enhance collaboration among leading enterprises, industry associations and universities, and continue to build a robust industrial ecosystem.