China Launches Feasibility Study for Space-Based Intelligent Computing Project
Beijing (ANTARA) - China has launched a comprehensive feasibility study and pre-project evaluation for a space-based intelligent computing constellation, a senior official from China’s National Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense has stated.
Deputy Director of the Commercial Space Department, Yu Guobin, revealed at the 2026 Space Computing Industry Conference held in Beijing on Friday (3/4) that his agency has led the organisation of the project’s inaugural meeting and an expert panel session. The work is being carried out in an orderly manner, according to Science and Technology Daily.
Space-based computing refers to the application of computational capacity in space, enabling seamless global coverage through satellite networks. Compared to terrestrial data centres, its greatest advantage lies in real-time response capabilities and global coverage.
Yu emphasised the strategic necessity of developing space-based computing. He described it as a key method to overcome various bottlenecks in ground-based computing and ensure sustainable growth in the digital economy.
Traditional data centres are constrained by high energy consumption, land limitations, expensive cooling costs, and restricted coverage, making it difficult to meet future demands for ultra-large-scale, environmentally friendly computing power with global reach, Yu stated. In contrast, space-based computing offers a zero-carbon, sustainable alternative that is widely accessible, he added.
Moreover, in the traditional model, satellites collect massive amounts of data from space but have very limited onboard computing power. All raw data must be transmitted back to Earth-based stations for processing and analysis.
This model suffers from severe bandwidth limitations, with real-time processed data utilisation rates below 10 percent. Space-based computing enables intelligent processing in orbit, reducing data transmission latency to mere seconds, Yu said.
Deputy Director of the Data Centre Department at the Cloud Computing and Big Data Research Institute under China’s Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Xie Lina, explained that computing satellites can form laser communication connections to achieve seamless global coverage and process data directly in orbit.
This reduces data latency for certain scenarios, such as early disaster warnings and resource monitoring, from hours to seconds—a feat unattainable by ground-based computing, Xie said.
Space-based computing is also urgently needed to build a popular global computing network and serve national strategies, Yu stated.
Applications such as emergency response, marine observation, and polar expeditions require seamless global coverage, low latency, and highly reliable services, which are among the strengths that space-based computing can provide, the official added.
According to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the country is accelerating the development of the space computing industry ecosystem.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will support forward-looking space computing research, gradually establishing a standards system encompassing hardware, software, networks, and security, while promoting research and development of technologies and products such as radiation-resistant chips for space and inter-satellite laser communications.