China has launched its first 12 artificial intelligence (AI) satellites into orbit as part of the “supercomputer in orbit” project. In total, the plan is to deploy 2,800 AI satellites into space.
Developed by the company ADA Space, these satellites can process collected data independently without relying on ground stations. Each satellite is equipped with an AI model containing 8 billion parameters, capable of performing 744 trillion operations per second (TOPS). According to the company, all 12 satellites together execute 5 quadrillion operations per second (POPS). The main goal of the project is to build a network of “thousands” of satellites to achieve a processing power of 1,000 quadrillion operations per second.
The satellites exchange data at speeds of up to 100 Gbit/s and collectively share 30 TB of memory. This space-based supercomputer significantly reduces data transmission time and improves data quality. According to South China Morning Post, typically less than 10% of satellite-collected data reaches the Earth, and this new technology aims to substantially increase that figure.
This project represents a new phase in the application of artificial intelligence in space and offers great potential for more efficient data management.
