This Day, That Year: Feb 21

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

An item on Feb 21, 1986, from China Daily showed that China's second telecommunications satellite had been successfully guided into permanent orbit.

The first was launched in April 1984.

After decades of research and development, the country has become a leader in the communications satellite sector.

In August 2016, China launched the first quantum communications satellite, Micius, which was the first step to building a space-based quantum communications network that is virtually uncrackable.

The country's first high-throughput communications satellite Shijian 13 was launched in April 2017. It marked the start of China's large-capacity communications network.

The technology is crucial to enabling a spacecraft to send, receive and transmit a large quantity of data with ground stations.

Last year, leading contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp unveiled a plan to build the country's largest satellite constellation.

Upon its completion, the Hongyan constellation will consist of more than 320 satellites operating in low-Earth orbits, capable of providing phone services and broadband internet access to users anywhere on the globe, according to the company.

By then people will be able to use high-quality Wi-Fi services anywhere and anytime.