Constellations of Power: Smart Dragon-3 and the Geopolitics of China's Space Strategyby Scott N. Romaniuk and Laszlo CsicsmannBudapest, Hungary (SPX) Sep 17, 2025On 9 September 2025, a Smart Dragon-3 rocket roared to life off the coast of Rizhao City, in eastern China's Shandong Province, carrying 11 Geely-05 satellites into orbit. Beijing has long sought to reduce dependence on foreign-controlled satellite services, particularly in areas where communications and navigation intersect with national security. Strategically, the expansion of China's satellite constellations carries both regional and global implications. While marketed as commercial services, satellite constellations inevitably have military applications. China's space strategy has entered a bold new phase, fusing commercial ambition with national power.