China launches satellites for ambitious supercomputer network in space
China has embarked on an ambitious endeavour, launching the initial 12 satellites of a planned 2,800-strong orbital supercomputer network, as reported by Space News. These cutting-edge satellites, a collaborative effort by ADA Space, Zhijiang Laboratory, and Neijang High-Tech Zone, are designed to process the vast amounts of data they collect directly in orbit, significantly reducing their reliance on terrestrial ground stations. This marks a pivotal shift in how satellite data is managed and utilized.
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The newly launched satellites are part of ADA Space’s “Star Compute” program and form the vanguard of what the company calls the “Three-Body Computing Constellation.” Each of the 12 satellites is equipped with an eight-billion-parameter AI model and boasts an impressive processing capability of 744 tera operations per second (TOPS). Collectively, this initial constellation can manage five peta operations per second (POPS). To put this in perspective, a Microsoft Copilot PC requires about 40 TOPS. The long-term vision, according to the Chinese government, is to expand this network to thousands of satellites, ultimately achieving an astounding 1,000 POPS.
Communication between these satellites is incredibly fast, reaching speeds of up to 100 Gbps using lasers, and they collectively share a substantial 30 terabytes of storage. Beyond their computational power, the 12 satellites launched last week also carry scientific payloads, including an X-ray polarization detector designed to identify brief cosmic phenomena like gamma-ray bursts. ADA Space has also indicated that these satellites possess the capability to create 3D digital twin data, which could have diverse applications ranging from emergency response to gaming and tourism.
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The benefits of a space-based supercomputer extend far beyond just saving communication time. The South China Morning Post highlights that traditional satellite transmissions are often slow, with less than 10 percent of satellite data typically reaching Earth due to limitations in bandwidth and ground station availability. Furthermore, Jonathan McDowell, a space historian and astronomer at Harvard University, noted to the SCMP that “orbital data centres can use solar power and radiate their heat to space, reducing the energy needs and carbon footprint.” He also suggested that both the US and Europe could pursue similar projects in the future.
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