A conceptual rendering of the satellite plant funded by Geely Technology Group, the technology development arm of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/i.ifeng.com]

A satellite plant funded by Geely Technology Group, the technology development arm of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, began construction in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on March 2.

The project, which is divided into two phases, is set to be China's first private capital funded smart AIT (assembly, integration and testing) center for pulsating modular satellites.

It will consist of a satellite R&D center, a measurement & control center, and component manufacturing facilities.

Various types of satellites will be assembled and tested there by leveraging the carmaker's advanced assembly technology.

Geely, China's first automobile company to develop low-orbit satellites, made its strategic investment in Geespace in 2018 and started building its space-ground integrated mobility ecosystem at that time.

The company has revealed that the first two low-orbit satellites independently designed by Geespace have passed various qualification tests and are expected to be launched in 2020.

Meanwhile, Geespace plans to launch its commercial low-orbit satellite network by the end of this year.

Xu Zhihao, CEO of Geely Technology Group, said that the satellite project will help facilitate Geely's transformation and is an important part of the company's efforts to expand into the satellite industry.

Taizhou, where Geely was founded, has long prioritized the development of the general aviation sector, and the satellite project is expected to inject new momentum into the growth of the industry.

Taizhou is now home to a production center for Rainbow series drones, as well as a general aviation industrial park funded by Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Geely delivered 2.18 million cars last year, according to official data.