Shanghai Xingshu launches first constellation of its space-based computing project

Shanghai Xingshu Tiansuan Space Technology Co. on Saturday said it had launched the first constellation of a space-computing project that in total aims to ‌deploy 1,000 ⁠satellites ⁠in space.

Space-based computing means processing data in orbit, including AI and remote-sensing workloads, instead of sending all raw data back to Earth.

Xingshu Tiansuan ​said the launch marked ⁠a step ‌closer to the ​commercial operation ​of China's first space-based ⁠computing network.


The announcement coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping's attendance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, where he cast Beijing as the champion of a new global AI order.

‌Elon Musk's SpaceX, following its February merger with xAI, is advancing its own ⁠space-based computing initiatives, seeking to accelerate AI development.

Advocates say sending processed results ​back to Earth rather than large volumes of raw data can reduce latency and bandwidth pressure.