First Hong Kong-made satellite set to be launched in late November from Guangdong province, company reveals

The first Hong Kong-made satellite is set to be launched in late November from Guangdong province in mainland China, with the manufacturer aiming to produce one a day for commercial use starting next year.

Research, assembly and testing of the “Hong Kong Star” satellite had succeeded at the company’s manufacturing centre at the Tseung Kwan O InnoPark, the firm said on Wednesday.

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“The successful creation of ‘Hong Kong Star’ is the first of its kind in Hong Kong’s history,” the Hong Kong Satellite Manufacturing Centre said.

“Starting from 2024, the Hong Kong Satellite Manufacturing Centre will meet the needs of customers around the world and manufacture approximately 300 commercial satellites in Hong Kong every year, basically one commercial satellite a day, making Hong Kong a veritable global commercial satellite manufacturing centre.”

It said the creation of the hyperspectral remote sensing satellite was a manifestation of the city’s scientific and technological innovation, vitality and transformational capabilities for new industrialisation.

Hyperspectral remote sensing is used for collecting and processing information about the objects on the Earth’s surface.

With a high-resolution optical camera, the centre said, the satellite could provide more precise images for use in fields such as disaster prevention, remote sensing and smart city construction.

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The launch was planned for November in the sea off Yangiiang in Guangdong, the centre said.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong told a ceremony to mark the birth of the satellite that the achievement embodied Hong Kong’s innovation and technological strength.

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“The Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint, announced by the government last year, identifies new industrialisation as a crucial path for development,” he said.

“Driving this new industrialisation will invigorate Hong Kong’s economy, enhancing its dynamism and resilience.”

Sun added that the government was deeply committed to pushing forward the city’s innovation and technology development, rolling out a variety of policy measures aimed at promoting R&D, enhancing infrastructure, cultivating talent, and providing support for start-ups.

The centre, owned by Shenzhen-based New Horizon Group, plans to launch a “Hong Kong space satellite constellation” formed by 720 “Hong Kong Star” satellites.

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The aim is to create high-quality satellites and develop space technology solutions.

The constellation is aimed at facilitating services in fields such as satellites’ direct connections with smartphones and big data of remote sensing.

New Horizon is a large-scale hi-tech entity specialising in the aerospace industry.