China’s Orbital Supercomputer: A New Frontier in Digital Dominance
China’s Orbital Supercomputer: A New Frontier in Digital Dominance
Beijing’s Orbital Brain: How China Is Reinventing Supercomputing
China has officially launched a new chapter in the global race for technological supremacy. Space is no longer just the realm of rockets and telescopes—it is now home to a network of orbiting supercomputers. With the deployment of the first 12 satellites in the so-called Three-Body Computing Constellation, Beijing has ignited a bold project that could transform the way the world processes data.
A constellation designed for a quintillion operations per second
The end goal is striking: deploy 2,800 satellites interconnected via 100 Gbps laser links, forming a single orbital supercomputer capable of 1,000 peta operations per second (POPS)—equivalent to one quintillion calculations per second. The initial 12 satellites already achieve a combined 5 POPS, surpassing the computing capacity of many terrestrial data centers.
Each satellite, developed by ADA Space in partnership with Zhejiang Lab and Neijang High-Tech Zone, runs an AI model with 8 billion parameters and delivers 744 tera operations per second (TOPS). Built on a distributed architecture, the system includes 30 terabytes of shared storage and is designed to compute directly in orbit.
From orbit to output—without returning to Earth
The most disruptive aspect of this project is its in-orbit data processing capability. Unlike traditional satellites that beam raw data back to Earth (with up to 90% often lost due to bandwidth constraints), these orbiting nodes handle analysis on-site. The result? Speed, autonomy, and no reliance on ground infrastructure. In an era of strategic volatility, that’s a major advantage.
More than AI: science, emergencies, and digital twins
But the constellation’s mission doesn’t stop at computation. Each satellite is equipped with advanced scientific instruments, including X-ray polarization detectors for monitoring gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena. They can also generate 3D digital twins of Earth, useful in disaster response, urban planning, immersive tourism, and even gaming development.
A greener alternative to Earth-based data centers
Beyond performance and resilience, space offers substantial environmental benefits. Powered by solar energy and naturally cooled by the vacuum of space, these satellites avoid the energy-intensive cooling systems that terrestrial data centers require. In contrast, Google alone consumed nearly 20 billion liters of water for cooling in 2022. With global data centers projected to exceed 1,000 terawatt-hours of electricity use annually, China’s approach could reshape the sustainability of high-performance computing.
A geopolitical shift in orbit
This move is not just scientific or ecological—it’s strategic. A digital infrastructure in space, immune to ground-based attacks and capable of autonomous operation, marks a shift in military and geopolitical calculus. With real-time processing, the constellation could enhance battlefield intelligence and secure command systems even in conflict scenarios.
Known as Star Compute, this initiative may well be the 21st century’s true Sputnik moment. Not a race to space—but a race to intelligence in space. And once again, China has taken the lead.