GalaxySpace（银河航天）has completed the development, launch and in-orbit delivery of a satellite for Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, or GISTDA, in what the company described as the first such whole-satellite delivery by a Chinese commercial space company to a Southeast Asian customer.
A Long March-6C rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 11:21 a.m. Beijing time on August 25, carrying seven satellites into their planned orbits. Among them was the Lingzhi-09 Thailand CubeSat, also known as GISTDA CubeSat-1, which was developed by GalaxySpace for GISTDA.
The project covers more than a spacecraft. GalaxySpace said it provided an integrated package comprising the satellite, a ground system and capacity-building support. The company organized training in China for members of the Thai team and sent specialists to Thailand for on-site instruction.
Lingzhi-09 is intended to provide remote-sensing data for land management, agriculture and environmental monitoring in Thailand. It will also support practical teaching at Thai universities in satellite design and development, telemetry, tracking and control, and remote-sensing applications.
The delivery gives GalaxySpace a concrete overseas reference project at a stage when Chinese commercial space companies are seeking to turn manufacturing and engineering capabilities into exportable services. Rather than selling a standalone satellite, the project combines spacecraft delivery with ground infrastructure and technical training—elements required for a customer to operate and use an Earth-observation mission.
GISTDA is Thailand’s public agency responsible for advancing geoinformatics and space technology programmes, including the country’s Earth-observation-satellite development. For the agency, the new CubeSat adds an application-focused platform for collecting domestic observation data while also giving students and technical personnel exposure to satellite operations.
GalaxySpace, founded in 2018, develops communications and remote-sensing satellites. Its Nantong satellite smart factory has a stated annual capacity of 100 to 150 medium-sized satellites, reflecting the company’s effort to industrialize satellite production rather than rely solely on one-off spacecraft manufacturing.
The August 25 launch also carried two other satellites developed by GalaxySpace. Public launch reports confirm their participation but do not establish that both were synthetic-aperture-radar satellites.
The Thai project is an early example of how China’s commercial space companies may approach overseas business: combining satellite platforms, ground support and technical services for public-sector or institutional customers. Its longer-term significance will depend on the satellite’s in-orbit performance, the operation of its ground segment, and whether GalaxySpace can secure follow-on projects in Southeast Asia or other international markets.
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