China's Ground Segment: Building the Pillars of a Great Space Power

Space operations are not just a matter of rockets and ground stations, commonly recognized by their large satellite dishes, play an invaluable role in operating satellites and other spacecraft. Communicating with satellites and other spacecraft, downloading the data they collect, and other operations require multiple networks of sophisticated processing centers and receiving and monitoring stations. The ground segment, particularly Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) stations, provide a vital service in downlinking data and monitoring satellites’ orbits. These stations and the control centers also help satellites respond to emergencies such as solar events (which can harm satellites or degrade communications with their ground stations) and regain control if they fall out of communication. China’s network of ground stations domestically and abroad and its fleet of space tracking and military support vessels are a less obvious but important player supporting the launches of new satellites, maintaining the accuracy of its PNT constellations, and downlinking data from its growing constellations of remote sensing satellites. This study provides a background on the development of this system, the various technological hurdles that have been overcome, its capabilities, and their implications for the United States. It provides an overview of China’s ground segment, its satellite TT&C ground stations, military early warning radars, Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) stations, and supporting radio and optical observatories.