ANKARA

China is intensifying its efforts in low-Earth orbit to support the growing demand for smart device connectivity, launching four new satellites this month to expand the Tianqi constellation, state media reported Thursday.

Tianqi, a satellite constellation developed and operated by Beijing -based GuoDianGaoKe Technology, has now reached its first phase with 37 satellites in orbit, according to Xinhua News.

The constellation forms a global network that provides services for smart cities, marine and environmental monitoring as well as emergency communications.

In recent years, Chinese aerospace firms have been constructing Starlink-style satellite networks, following the lead of SpaceX.

Some of these commercial space firms are specifically targeting the development of critical digital infrastructure for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.

The addition of these four satellites reduces the constellation's revisit time to just five minutes.

"Tianqi has filled a technological gap in China's low-orbit IoT satellite field. Its technical systems, performance and terminal indicators have reached internationally leading levels," said GuoDianGaoKe Technology Chairman Lyu Qiang.

Tianqi is now exploring expansion into consumer markets, including smartphones, smart vehicles and wearable devices.

The company plans to design and launch additional satellites in its second phase to enhance consumer-level applications.

In a related development, China launched a Long March-4B carrier rocket on Thursday to place a new satellite, Shijian-26, into space.

The rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The satellite is primarily used for national land surveys, environmental management and other fields, providing information services to support national economic development.

The latest launch marked the 579th flight mission of the Long March series carrier rockets.

*Writing by Aamir Latif