Volvo and Polestar parent company launches satellites for self-driving cars

Geely has launched the first nine GeeSAT-1 satellites. Among other things, these satellites do position determination and should be able to help cars with self-driving functions. Cars can also communicate with other cars or infrastructure via the satellites.

The nine satellites of the Geely part of Geespace are the first step of the network. By 2025 the first phase should be ready, with 72 satellites. The second phase consists of 168 satellites, ultimately requiring 240 GeeSAT-1 satellites to float through space. The company calls the entire network the Geely Future Mobility Constellation.

The satellites enter a low orbit around the earth and must be able to indicate, for example, where a car is located to the nearest centimeter. Cars and other systems can also communicate with those satellites. According to Geely, these two aspects ensure that the network can help cars with self-driving functions, because they know better where they are on the road. In addition, they can communicate with other cars and infrastructure, for example about the state of the road or traffic jams.

This combination of positioning and communication is called Precise Point Positioning and Real-Time Kinematic Services, or PPP-RTK. In addition to autonomous cars, this network can be used for the logistics sector or for other sectors. For example, Geely is thinking of monitoring the quality of seawater.

The company has several ground stations in China for the Geely Future Mobility Constellation. Initially, the network will only work in Asia-Pacific, but after 2026 the network should be able to be used worldwide. Geely owns or has an interest in several car brands that sell cars in Europe, including Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Lynk & Co, Smart and LEVC. Geely’s satellites have a lifespan of five years, after which they burn up completely in the atmosphere. They are launched with the Long March 2C rockets.

The GeeSAT-1 satellites