Briefing: China's Three-Satellite Constellation In Earth-Moon Space

China's cislunar Infrastructure for Lunar Exploration, Communication, and Strategic Advantage

Apr 17, 2025

Overview

China launched the first three-satellite constellation in the Earth-Moon region using the Distant Retrograde Orbit. The Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a three unit constellation system composed of satellites named DRO-A, DRO-B, and DRO-L that maintains stable inter-satellite communication and measurement links between them. China has achieved a significant advancement in deep-space infrastructure with its ground-breaking project that increases its leadership in cislunar space exploration.

Technical Highlights

Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO): DRO is a highly stable orbit that encircles both Earth and Moon, requiring minimal fuel for satellites to maintain position. It acts as a “natural harbor” and “transport hub” for deep-space operations.
Constellation Architecture: The three satellites are distributed to maximize coverage, enabling real-time, autonomous communication and navigation throughout the Earth-Moon corridor.
Autonomous Operations: The system is designed for self-coordination, reducing reliance on Earth-based relays and enabling adaptive, real-time responses to mission needs.

Strategic And Scientific Advantages For China

Space Infrastructure Leadership

First-Mover Advantage: By being the first to deploy such a constellation, China sets international benchmarks for deep-space navigation, communication, and autonomous satellite operations.
Standard Setting: Early deployment allows China to influence protocols and operational standards for future cislunar and interplanetary missions.

Enhanced Deep-Space Capabilities

Continuous Communication: The constellation provides persistent, high-bandwidth links between Earth, the Moon, and deep-space assets, supporting both robotic and crewed missions.
Navigation Backbone: It offers precise navigation and positioning for lunar landers, rovers, and future lunar bases, addressing the limitations of traditional ground-based systems.

Economic and Technological Impact

Lunar Economy Enablement: The infrastructure supports resource exploitation, long-term lunar habitation, and the development of a sustainable lunar economy.
Dual-Use Technology: Innovations from this project can be applied to terrestrial communications, disaster response, and national defense networks.

Strategic Security

Geopolitical Leverage: Control over cislunar infrastructure enhances China’s strategic position in space, providing both civilian and military advantages.
Resilience: Autonomous, distributed architecture increases system robustness and reduces vulnerability to single-point failures.

Key Areas Where China Is Outpacing The U.S.

Operational Cislunar Constellation: The U.S. does not yet have an operational satellite network in cislunar space. China’s three-satellite DRO constellation is already conducting scientific, navigational, and communications experiments, providing a platform for future lunar and deep-space operations.
Low-Energy Orbit Insertion: China’s satellites achieved DRO insertion using only one-fifth the fuel typically required, a world-first that dramatically reduces mission costs and increases payload capacity—giving China a logistical and economic edge in lunar operations.
Inter-Satellite Communication: China has verified stable K-band microwave links over 1.17 million kilometers, a technological breakthrough for large-scale, autonomous satellite constellations in deep space.
Strategic Vision and Timelines: China’s advances are part of a clear, long-term strategy, including plans for a lunar base and a massive cislunar satellite network, with ambitions to establish a permanent presence on the Moon before the U.S. returns astronauts there.

Implications for the U.S. and Global Space Competition

Strategic and Security Concerns: U.S. military and space leaders acknowledge that China’s rapid progress is narrowing the technological gap and could threaten U.S. space superiority if current trends continue. There is concern that China’s dual-use space technologies—capable of both civilian and military applications—could give it a strategic advantage in cislunar and lunar domains.
Economic and Technological Leadership: By reducing the cost of access to cislunar space and establishing operational infrastructure, China is positioning itself to lead in the emerging lunar economy, including resource extraction, lunar manufacturing, and deep-space logistics.
Geopolitical Influence: China’s achievements strengthen its position to set international standards and protocols for cislunar operations, potentially shaping the rules and norms of lunar and deep-space activities to its advantage.
Pressure on U.S. Programs: China’s advancements are prompting calls within the U.S. for accelerated investment in space infrastructure, closer collaboration with private industry, and renewed focus on deep-space capabilities to avoid falling behind.

Conclusion

The deployment of China’s three-satellite constellation represents not only a technical achievement but also indicates a shift in space power dynamics. At this rate of innovation and deployment China stands to become the primary force in cislunar and lunar missions which will greatly affect economic leadership while shaping military security and global influence during the forthcoming space exploration period. To maintain competitiveness in the dynamic space sector the United States and its partners must enhance investment strategies while fostering innovation and strengthening international alliances.

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