China launches the first 12 satellites of a massive computing constellation in space

[Alfonso Maruccia]

In a nutshell: A few ventures are trying to bring the competition for edge computing in space, where solar energy is aplenty and ready to be harvested. A Chinese consortium is allegedly going from theory to practice, with an ambitious new constellation designed to bring AI capabilities in Earth's orbit.

While Eric Schmidt and other Western space entrepreneurs are still exploring the idea of orbital data centers, Chinese companies have already begun moving forward. Last week, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation confirmed the successful launch of the first mission in its "Satellite Computing" program, which aims to deploy thousands of satellites equipped with onboard computing capabilities.

Members of the Satellite Computing project include ADA Space, a company founded in 2018, and Zhejiang Lab – a collaboration between government authorities and Alibaba Group. Other participants, such as SoftStone and Kepu Cloud, are developing ground-based data centers designed to work with the orbital constellation.

Chinese space authorities said the first 12 satellites launched aboard a Long March-2D rocket. ADA Space described the deployment as the world's first orbital computing constellation. The entire network will reportedly include 2,800 satellites, each with a powerful onboard AI model.

The 12 satellites are capable of five peta-operations per second (POPS). The long-term goal is to build space infrastructure capable of reaching 1,000 POPS. Additionally, the satellites feature a 100 Gbps laser-based communication link for inter-satellite communication. Developed by Guangxi University, an onboard X-ray detector enables them to study extreme space phenomena like gamma-ray bursts.

ADA Space argues that the growing demand for real-time space-based computing justifies deploying more hardware into Earth's increasingly crowded orbit. China is pushing to lead this new orbital race, even as the United States slashes NASA's budget and shutters offices under anti-DEI executive orders.

Engineers are already developing a second satellite computing constellation. Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping has reportedly said that artificial intelligence should serve humanity and urged international cooperation to create better AI models. The European Space Agency also stresses the need for cooperation, though Europe appears unprepared to compete in the emerging space computing arena. Some experts, like astronomer Jonathan McDowell, argue that orbiting data centers could reduce energy consumption and ease environmental strain on Earth's fragile atmosphere.

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China launches the first 12 satellites of a massive computing constellation in space

 

[RudyBob]

They could not have done it without the USA's tech which they stole. China is BAD to it's bone

 

[Axeia]

They could not have done it without the USA's tech which they stole. China is BAD to it's bone

Ah America's space program which had great all American totally not involved with Nazis Wernher Von Braun working on it.
Definitely all American and not based on the German V1 and V2 missiles.

 

[pnntmp]

In space, you need ~4 square meters (40+ square feet) of solar panels to get 1 kW

4 square meters is quite a lot to launch to orbit, but 1 kW isn't much.
I'm not sure its worth going through all the hassle of creating rockets, satellites, communication between them, shielding and all that, just to get some free energy. The potential savings in energy costs would be dwarfed by the cost of everything else. The risks are a lot higher, the whole thing is non-repairable .... so the purpose of all that remains a mystery.

It's probably fake news, or the satellites are military but disguised as 'data centers'.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

In space, you need ~4 square meters (40+ square feet) of solar panels to get 1 kW

4 square meters is quite a lot to launch to orbit, but 1 kW isn't much.
I'm not sure its worth going through all the hassle of creating rockets, satellites, communication between them, shielding and all that, just to get some free energy. The potential savings in energy costs would be dwarfed by the cost of everything else. The risks are a lot higher, the whole thing is non-repairable .... so the purpose of all that remains a mystery.

It's probably fake news, or the satellites are military but disguised as 'data centers'.

- Yeah, all this computing in space is truly silly. The rocket fuel to get one "datacenter" to space has more energy in it than the entire satellite constellation will generate over their operational lifespan. Much simpler and easier ways to do computing than putting it in SPAAAACE!

100% this is either A) doing it because we can CCP pet project or B) cover for military satellites.

 

[New Day]

They could not have done it without the USA's tech which they stole. China is BAD to it's bone

America sitting on its laurels trying to out-bro the Russians for decades, then thinking it had the world at its feet through tech companies and fattening its population, lay the ground for China to rise.

Come, Rudy, I know you like it rough. I use only bare open hands. All red, no welts.

 

[NotYourITguy]

So nobody is going to comment on the fact that 5 POPS is basically a joke? Not sure if that's 0.4 POPs per satellite or 5 POPs each, but either way, it's laughable. A single RTX 5090 outperforms the entire constellation if you measure the same way China measures these.

 

[The Talking Tech]

More ways for China to spy on everyone else....but once again the U.S and Russia are already spying on them in multiple other ways.

 

[p51d007]

You can bet this is for military use. NOTHING China CCP does is without military implications.

 

[toooooot]

They could not have done it without the USA's tech which they stole. China is BAD to it's bone

I feel like people confuse stealing with "Chinese stealing."
Here is what I mean. All developing countries do/did it.
But the problem where I see it is that China has outgrown that stage.
It outgrown it and rapidly kept growing.
The allegory I think fits well is a homeless boy who steals where he can living on the street.
But then the boy grows up. He works hard, becomes rich and is allowed into places for respected people.
And yet, for some reason he keeps stealing silverware and other things from these places...
China is a part of the big buy club. But it does not play by the rules. It still acts like a little thief it was 40 years ago.
That is what I think is wrong. It is long overdue for other countries to get together and show it that this is not how big club members behave.
It is too big, and no country would ever do it unless they all come to this decision. Seriously, it is like allowing a kleptomaniac to live in your house. It really needs to end, especially when there are way to end it.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I wonder how long until China gets their own GPS satellites into orbit, right now France and the USA have a duopoly, as Russia figured out the hard way.

I'm sure some of Xi's higher ups are trying to proof against that.

 

[Axeia]

I wonder how long until China gets their own GPS satellites into orbit, right now France and the USA have a duopoly, as Russia figured out the hard way.

I'm sure some of Xi's higher ups are trying to proof against that.

Beidou? That's been a thing for a while. There's also Galileo (Europese) and Glonass (Russian) the Japanese and India have their own versions as well although I dont know if those have global coverage