China is building its own Starlink—even as questions surround Musk’s constellation

China launched a record 67 commercial rockets last year, second only to the United States’ 116—the vast majority for SpaceX’s Starlink. But Elon Musk isn’t the only one building a space-based network for communications, navigation, and sensing. A Nov. 23 launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center carried a batch of satellites intended to lay the foundation for China’s own Starlink-like service.

The conflict in Ukraine has proven the utility of satellite internet to fill gaps in communications caused by enemy action or adverse geography. Ukrainian forces rely on Starlink devices to overcome Russian jamming and to guide weapons,…