China's leading Space contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp will start building the country's largest satellite constellation this year, with plans to offer communication services to users around the world.
国内顶尖空间承建方中国航天科技集团今年将开始建设我国最大的卫星星座，计划为全球用户提供通信服务。Upon its completion, the Hongyan constellation will consist of more than 320 satellites operating in low-Earth orbits, capable of providing phone service and broadband internet access to users anywhere on the globe, according to the China Academy of Space Technology, part of CASC.
航天科技集团中国空间技术研究院称，当鸿雁卫星星座建成时，将由超过320颗卫星组成，该星座在近地轨道运行，能为全球用户提供无死角的通话服务和宽带网络连接。The major part of the network - 54 large communication satellites - will be launched before the end of 2023, then 270 small satellites will be placed in orbit to supplement them.
由54颗大型通信卫星组成的这个卫星网络的主体部分将于2023年年底前发射升空，之后270颗小卫星将被放入轨道对其进行补网。
Together they will form a system with global reach, the company said.
该集团表示，所有这些卫星将形成一个覆盖全球的系统。Currently, China's largest satellite network is the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, which has nearly 30 active satellites and will have 35 by the end of 2020, when it will offer global coverage.
目前，中国最大的卫星网络是北斗导航卫星系统，该系统目前拥有近30颗活跃卫星，到2020年底则将拥有35颗卫星，届时它将提供全球覆盖。Zhang Hongtai, president of the academy, said his academy will launch a satellite this year to demonstrate technologies to be used by the Hongyan network.
中国空间技术研究院院长张洪太称，该研究院今年将发射一颗卫星，以展示鸿雁网络使用的技术。"The technology demonstration satellite will work on an orbit about 1,100 kilometers above the ground to verify Hongyan satellite's compatibility in low orbit as well as its data transmission capacity," he said.
他表示：“该技术将演示卫星在距地面1100公里的轨道上运行，以验证鸿雁卫星在低轨道上的兼容性以及数据传输能力。”