Geely might have an automotive presence through companies like Lotus in the UK, Volvo in Sweden, and Proton in Malaysia but there is one region that it will boldly go where no car manufacturer has stepped foot in – space.
We can assure you that there is no Proton Satria Cabriolet in the rocket with some spacesuit-wearing dummy
To be precise, it’s a subsidiary of the Geely Technology Group, Geespace that has successfully launched its first 9 satellites into low earth orbit. The nine GeeSAT-1 satellites are part of a planned constellation called the Geely Future Mobility Constellation which will consist of 240 satellites.
The first phase of 72 satellites is expected to be placed in orbit by 2025 while the second phase consisting of 168 satellites will follow.
The GeeSAT-1 satellites will provide centimetre accurate precise positioning and connectivity support for use by automotive brands in the Geely Holding portfolio.
This will then enable what the press release states as “enabling true, safe autonomous driving that will connect vehicles with vehicles and infrastructure with vehicles to realise true autonomous driving”.
Don’t jump to the conclusion that it would arrive in a Proton soon. After all, the Malaysian carmaker had announced that it would only be launching its first production EV towards the end of the decade.
The satellites will have an operating lifespan of 5 years, after which they would propel themselves into the earth’s atmosphere where they will disintegrate without leaving any space debris. So at least the GeeSAT-1 might not leave any space junk after it becomes inoperable.
Besides entering the satellite-making business, Geely’s chairman, Eric Li, also announced a smartphone sector through his company, Hubei Xingji Shidai Technology, in 2021. It’s quite a far cry from when Geely was originally a fridge manufacturer.
Keyword: After taking over Proton and Volvo, Geely is entering the space satellite business