Tag: China
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Why Can 12 Networked Satellites Do More Than 12 Working Alone?
Intuitively, 12 identical satellites should offer 12 times the computing power of one. But the value of connecting the first 12 satellites in Zhejiang Lab’s Three-Body Computing Constellation goes beyond adding up their processors. What creates that extra value? This article examines three sources of collaborative capability—and the costs that come with them. 1. Scheduling:…
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Can Satellites Crash? Software and Updates in Orbit
When an expensive AI server in a ground-based data center develops a bug, engineers can usually reboot it remotely. But put that server in orbit, 400 kilometers above Earth, circling the planet roughly every 90 minutes—and who handles the restart? Difference One: Software Needs Armor If an app crashes on Earth, you can usually just…
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A Cloud Provider in Orbit: How Is Space Computing Priced?
Whether an industry can survive over the long term comes down to one question: Who keeps paying for it? Space computing has three potential revenue models, each with a parallel in the evolution of cloud providers. Model One: Selling Data—The “Selling Produce” Business The most established model is also the most straightforward: package processed results…
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Onboard Intelligence, Space Data Processing in Orbit and Earth Data Processing in Orbit: Which Will Succeed First?
Space computing covers three distinct approaches: satellites that process their own observations, constellations that share computing tasks in orbit, and orbital infrastructure designed to handle workloads originating on Earth. They share a label, but their technical requirements and commercial readiness differ substantially. This lesson maps out the three approaches, making it easier to understand where…
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How Does Satellite Imagery Become Intelligence?
Think of a satellite as a courier collecting packages. But what happens after collection? Between a satellite pressing its “shutter” and a wildfire alert, flood map or vessel track appearing on your phone, how many steps does the data go through? Let’s unpack the entire data pipeline. The Traditional Pipeline: Shipping Every Ingredient Back to…
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Two Paths to Reliable Space Computing
One approach relies on BAE Systems’ RAD750 family: expensive radiation-hardened processors with a long record of service on deep-space missions. The other uses commercial processors backed by redundant computers and fault-tolerant software, as demonstrated by SpaceX. The question is not simply which technology is more advanced. These approaches reflect two different ways of paying for…
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Long March 12 Launches China’s 27th LEO Internet Satellite Group
At 3:27 a.m. on October 10, 2026, China successfully launched the 27th group of low-Earth orbit internet satellites aboard a Long March 12 carrier rocket from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. The satellites entered their designated orbit, continuing the phased deployment of China’s satellite internet system and marking the 671st mission of the Long…
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China’s Satellite Internet System Enables First Arctic-to-Antarctic Video Call
China used its domestically developed GW satellite internet system to complete its first real-time video call spanning the Arctic and Antarctica on September 25 during the country’s 16th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition. The call connected the research vessels Xuelong, Jidi and Tansuo-3 with China’s Qinling Station in Antarctica, with reported video delay of no more…
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How to Assess a Satellite Thermal Control Company’s Competitive Edge and Growth Potential
Satellite thermal control may sound like a niche business, but it is critical to a spacecraft’s survival. Yet not every company in the field is equally capable. Some quietly deliver hardware that flies; others excel at telling a compelling story. Assessing a satellite thermal control company requires a closer look at several factors. Technical Capabilities…
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The In-Orbit Remote Sensing Pipeline
Key Insight An in-orbit processing pipeline essentially takes a ground-based data center apart and fits its functions inside a satellite. Each stage uses the computing hardware best suited to its task: FPGAs for rule-based processing, NPUs for AI inference, and CPUs for scheduling. Models that are “good enough” trade complexity for real-time performance. To assess…