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China has taken a major step toward building the world’s first orbital supercomputer network by launching 12 AI-powered satellites as part of its ambitious “Star Compute” program. Developed by ADA Space in collaboration with Zhijiang Laboratory and the Neijang High-Tech Zone, these satellites mark the beginning of what the company calls the “Three-Body Computing Constellation.”
Each satellite is equipped with an 8-billion parameter AI model capable of performing 744 tera operations per second (TOPS). Collectively, the first batch of satellites achieves a processing power of 5 peta operations per second (POPS). China’s end goal is to deploy 2,800 satellites, eventually reaching 1,000 POPS—a network that would rival some of the most powerful Earth-based supercomputers.
Decentralized, In-Orbit AI Processing
What sets these satellites apart is their ability to process data in space, eliminating the need to downlink vast amounts of raw data to Earth for analysis. The satellites share 30 terabytes of storage and communicate via laser links at speeds of up to 100Gbps. This decentralized computing system offers efficiency and speed that traditional satellite systems can’t match.
ADA Space notes the satellites can generate 3D digital twin data, useful for a wide range of applications including emergency response, urban planning, tourism, and even gaming. One satellite in the batch carries an X-ray polarization detector to monitor cosmic events like gamma-ray bursts, indicating a blend of scientific and practical use cases.
Strategic and Environmental Advantages
Beyond raw capability, orbital supercomputers offer strategic and environmental benefits. Traditional Earth-based data centers require significant energy for cooling and are vulnerable to ground-based disruptions. By operating in space, China’s network leverages solar energy and naturally dissipates heat into space, reducing the carbon footprint and increasing resilience.
Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard space historian and astronomer, told the South China Morning Post that orbital data centers could become viable alternatives to energy-intensive terrestrial infrastructure. He also noted that other major players like the US and the EU could pursue similar technologies in response.
Implications for Global Tech and Security
This technological leap also underscores growing competition between China and the United States in space, artificial intelligence, and computing. The U.S. recently tracked a military satellite performing close maneuvers near Chinese spacecraft, and concerns have been raised in Washington over China’s increasing presence in Latin American space projects.
While still dwarfed by SpaceX’s Starlink—which boasts over 6,750 satellites—China’s 2,800-satellite computing constellation represents a different kind of race. Unlike Starlink’s communications focus, the Chinese system aims to become a self-sufficient, AI-powered orbital infrastructure, untethered from Earth and potentially immune to ground-based threats.
With this launch, China is signaling its intent to lead not only in satellite volume, but in redefining what satellites can do—ushering in a future where advanced computing power floats above the atmosphere, reshaping both commercial technology and strategic capabilities.
