China plans to launch 100 satellites by 2025: Official

China plans to launch about 100 satellites into space by 2025 adding to the more than 200 that are already in orbit, an official at the China National Space Administration said.

China, which is investing heavily in space technology with plans to build its own space station by 2022, reported to have about 280 satellites currently in space against India's 54 until November last, according to World Economic Forum Data.

With 830 satellites in space, US leads the satellite race.

China had developed the fundamental and proper environment to accelerate the space economy with breakthroughs in space technologies, Yu Qi, an official at the China National Space Administration, was quoted as saying by state-run Global Times.

China broke a record in 2018 by conducting 39 launch missions, ranking the first in the world and accounting for one-third of all launches worldwide, it said.

Gaofen satellite series, being launched by China since 2010, have been widely used by more than 20 industries around China, playing important roles in environmental protection, forestry, agriculture and mapping, Yu said.

By the end of this year, the Gaofen-7 satellite will be launched, which will mark the completion of the Gaofen series. The focus will then shift to the practical use of the system, Yu added.