On Wednesday, a Long March-2D rocket roared into the sky, launching 12 cutting-edge satellites from the iconic Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Chinese mainland at 12:12 p.m. Beijing Time. 🚀
Jointly developed by Zhijiang Laboratory and global partners, this debut constellation marks just the beginning, with plans to eventually expand the network to thousands of satellites.
Wang Jian, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the lab (and founder of Alibaba Cloud), revealed that each satellite comes equipped with an 8-billion-parameter AI model. This powerful system processes data from raw collection (L0) to advanced levels (L4), revolutionizing efficiency in space-based data handling.
Beyond AI-driven processing, the constellation supports full inter-satellite connectivity and will carry out experimental missions, including cross-orbit laser communication and astronomical observations. It’s like a sci-fi upgrade for traditional satellite tech!
This ambitious project highlights China’s growing drive to extend computing power into space, potentially complementing terrestrial cloud infrastructure and paving the way for next-gen applications in AI and remote sensing. Stay tuned for more cosmic innovations!
Reference(s):
China launches first batch of space computing satellite constellation
cgtn.com
