我國將建設最大的衛星星座
China's leading space contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp will start building the country's largest satellite constellation this year, with plans to offer communication services to users around the world.
國內頂尖空間承建方中國航天科技集團今年將開始建設我國最大的衛星星座，計劃爲全球用戶提供通信服務。Upon its completion, the Hongyan constellation will consist of more than 320 satellites operating in low-Earth orbits, capable of providing phone service and broadband internet access to users anywhere on the globe, according to the China Academy of Space Technology, part of CASC.
航天科技集團中國空間技術研究院稱，當鴻雁衛星星座建成時，將由超過320顆衛星組成，該星座在近地軌道運行，能爲全球用戶提供無死角的通話服務和寬帶網絡連接。The major part of the network - 54 large communication satellites - will be launched before the end of 2023, then 270 small satellites will be placed in orbit to supplement them.
由54顆大型通信衛星組成的這個衛星網絡的主體部分將於2023年年底前發射升空，之後270顆小衛星將被放入軌道對其進行補網。
Together they will form a system with global reach, the company said.
該集團表示，所有這些衛星將形成一個覆蓋全球的系統。Currently, China's largest satellite network is the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, which has nearly 30 active satellites and will have 35 by the end of 2020, when it will offer global coverage.
目前，中國最大的衛星網絡是北斗導航衛星系統，該系統目前擁有近30顆活躍衛星，到2020年底則將擁有35顆衛星，屆時它將提供全球覆蓋。Zhang Hongtai, president of the academy, said his academy will launch a satellite this year to demonstrate technologies to be used by the Hongyan network.
中國空間技術研究院院長張洪太稱，該研究院今年將發射一顆衛星，以展示鴻雁網絡使用的技術。"The technology demonstration satellite will work on an orbit about 1,100 kilometers above the ground to verify Hongyan satellite's compatibility in low orbit as well as its data transmission capacity," he said.
他表示：“該技術將演示衛星在距地面1100公里的軌道上運行，以驗證鴻雁衛星在低軌道上的兼容性以及數據傳輸能力。”
