The pursuit of "launching 100 satellites" and achieving "ten billion in output value" is not just a slogan for Meishan, Sichuan. This city, renowned as the hometown of the literary giant Su Dongpo, is actively forging a new identity in the modern space economy.

On June 17th, the 4th Meishan Satellite Application Industry Development Conference opened. Following its previous ambition for a ten-billion-yuan industry, Meishan has now set a new, more concrete goal: to launch 100 satellites. Over the course of the conference, attendees sought to understand how this historic city of poetry and literature became a hub for satellite technology, boasting the most commercial remote sensing satellites in Southwest China, and what underpins its confidence to pursue these dual "hundred" targets.

Poetry City's New Ambition: Redefining the "Hometown of Su Dongpo"

Yan Tingyi, Deputy General Manager of Meishan Huantian Industrial Park Investment and Operation Co., has been busy hosting a continuous stream of visitors to the China Western Satellite Industrial Park. Between meetings, he often reflects on the park's rapid transformation since its opening on December 30, 2024. From rows of empty factories, it has quickly filled with enterprises and research laboratories, becoming the epicenter of Meishan's space ambitions.

Developing future-oriented industries like satellite applications, a strategically important high-tech sector, is a priority for many cities. For Meishan, this journey began in 2020 with the incubation of Huantian Smart Technology Co., Ltd. in the Tianfu New Area. The city's "space dream" took flight on August 10, 2022, with the successful launch of the first seven "Dongpo" series satellites, named after the famous poet. This marked the beginning of the "Tianfu Constellation," later renamed the "Huantian Constellation," China's first satellite network themed around smart cities. With the launch of three more satellites that December, Meishan secured its position as the leader in commercial remote sensing satellites in Southwest China, surprising many who knew it only for its cultural heritage.

Today, the first phase of the Huantian Constellation consists of 14 satellites, with their cumulative remote sensing imagery covering over 600 million square kilometers. Plans are in place to launch six more satellites this year, maintaining Meishan's regional leadership.

The Foundation for "Knowing Heaven and Earth": What's the Backing?

Meishan's satellite endeavors have gained significant attention, both domestically and internationally. The recent industry conference attracted government and business representatives from countries including Laos, Oman, Pakistan, and Singapore. Huantian Smart secured deep project collaborations with entities from Oman and Laos, building on its reported annual output value of approximately 500 million yuan.

Yan Tingyi attributes Meishan's advantages to its early start, proximity to Chengdu for "R&D in Chengdu, manufacturing in Meishan" cost benefits, and a growing pool of talent fostered through these industry conferences. The strategy to build a complete industrial chain revolves around "one industry, one park, one fund"—focusing on the satellite application sector, developing the China Western Satellite Industrial Park, and supporting it with an industrial investment fund to create a full-cycle ecosystem for businesses.

This approach has successfully attracted upstream companies like Helios Starlink (Meishan) Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd., which moved in during July 2025. The "clustering" effect within the park reduces R&D and mass production costs through rapid collaboration. The company recently launched its Meishan Data Port product, aiming to build an integrated space-air-ground-sea high-speed data service ecosystem based on space laser communication technology.

Meishan's ambitions are codified in its "Meishan Satellite Industry Development Plan (2024-2030)," targeting an industry scale exceeding 10 billion yuan by 2030. Recent developments, including the expansion of a commercial satellite alliance, the establishment of a local branch for the Sichuan High-Resolution Earth Observation Center, and the unveiling of the world's first high-precision carbon monitoring constellation, are all steps toward realizing this "ten-billion" flag.

A New Goal: Launching 100 Satellites – What's the Purpose?

Against the backdrop of China's recent massive application for satellite frequency and orbital resources—seen by the industry as heralding a true "first year" for global commercial aerospace in 2026—securing these resources has become a new frontier. At the conference, Huantian Smart initiated the "Hundred-Thousand Project" for its commercial satellite alliance. It announced Meishan's plan to launch 100 satellites and expanded the alliance's callable satellite resources from 280 to 1,000, issuing a global invitation for ecosystem collaboration.

Addressing the necessity of so many satellites, Zou YunKun, Chairman of Huantian Smart Technology Co., Ltd., affirmed their utility in solving time-lag and timeliness issues during satellite operations. He emphasized that the value lies not merely in quantity but in application. Beyond established uses in agriculture, resource surveys, environmental protection, and disaster prevention, the company is now applying technology to urban infrastructure monitoring. A new product integrates satellite imagery, super-resolution algorithms, and 3D modeling for millimeter-level precision deformation monitoring of buildings and roads.

Zou also highlighted the talent attraction benefits, noting that the industrial chain has already created jobs for about 500 people in the park.

The Path to a Ten-Billion Industry: Embracing Long-Termism

Meishan is not alone in this race. Numerous cities across China, from Fujian to Sichuan's own Chengdu, Mianyang, and Suining, are accelerating their布局 in satellite applications. The industry's characteristics of "high investment and long cycles" also raise the entry barrier.

To navigate the long development cycle, Zou Yunkun believes in leveraging unique strengths and adhering to long-termism. He points out that the industry lacks not data, but specialized, differentiated data. The focus is on integrating remote sensing with AI technology and embedding it into the standard operating procedures of various traditional industries—a process that requires sustained effort.

The emphasis on practical application and implementation was a recurring theme. Luo Ge, former Deputy Director of the China National Space Administration, analyzed common industry shortcomings, such as prioritizing construction over application and technology over practical scenarios. He offered advice for Meishan's development: deeply cultivate local特色 scenarios to build a differentiated application system; open up遥感 data in a tiered manner to lower barriers for SMEs; and shift from pilot demonstrations to addressing daily, essential needs through demand-oriented,长效 operations.