Nation to advance space computing industry amid global race for tech edge

China is set to roll out policies to accelerate the development of the space computing industry, a strategic move that could reshape how data is processed in orbit and cement the nation's position in the global technology race, the country's top industry regulator said.

Space computing refers to the use of computing capabilities in orbit, which enables satellite networks to achieve seamless global coverage.

Unlike conventional satellites, which function merely as cameras that capture data and transmit vast amounts of raw information back to ground stations for processing, space computing involves satellites equipped with onboard servers, artificial intelligence chips and storage devices, officials and experts said.

This enables the satellites to collect and analyze data, as well as make decisions in real time, cutting data processing time from several hours to seconds. The satellites also overcome the limitations of energy and space faced by ground-based data centers, they added.

Zhao Ce, deputy head of the department of information and communication technology development at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that compared with ground-based data centers, space computing offers advantages such as real-time in-orbit processing, low-cost energy supply and wide-area coverage.

"These features will help enhance our ability to harness space energy and improve global coverage and anti-jamming capabilities," Zhao said, pointing out the strategic value and promising industrial prospects of the emerging sector.

"We will strengthen systematic planning, deepen industrial cultivation, and promote coordinated breakthroughs to advance the space computing industry in a solid and orderly manner," Zhao added.

The global in-orbit data center market is projected to reach $39.09 billion by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate of 67.4 percent, according to the market research company BIS Research.

Zhao highlighted that efforts will be made to promote the research and development of technologies, and products such as spaceborne radiation-resistant chips and inter-satellite laser communications.

Yang Liang, chief engineer at the Xi'an Microelectronics Technology Institute, said that space computing power also has strategic significance for data security. It is crucial for taking the leading position in fields such as AI and aerospace information.

On Friday, a space computing professional committee, China's first industrywide coordination platform dedicated to space computing, was established in Beijing. The move is expected to bolster the nation's ambitions of becoming a digital powerhouse and a strong player in aerospace.

The committee operates under an industry body initiated by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The committee said it will spearhead the research on key technologies such as onboard AI chips, efficient thermal control and space-based photovoltaics. Xie Lina, an expert at the Cloud Computing and Big Data Research Institute of CAICT, said computing satellites can be networked through laser communications, and can process data directly in orbit and compress data processing time for scenarios such as disaster warning and resource monitoring from several hours to seconds — something ground-based data centers cannot achieve.

It also provides a naturally "green" solution: unlike ground-based computing centers that consume enormous amounts of electricity and incur high cooling costs, space-based systems can directly harness solar energy and require no energy-intensive air or water cooling, Xie said.

China is not alone in pursuing space computing. SpaceX in the United States plans to deploy about 1 million satellites in low Earth orbit to serve as orbital data centers. Russia is advancing computing upgrades to its satellite networks, while Japan is focusing on in-orbit processing of Earth observation data.

Xie said China is among the first countries to achieve in-orbit networking of computing satellites, placing it among the "first tier" globally in both engineering practice and commercial deployment speed of space computing.

masi@chinadaily.com.cn