China is building the world’s first orbital supercomputer network and it has taken the first step towards the same by launching 12 AI-powered satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch is part of the Three-Body Computing Constellation, which the country is planning to develop. This computing constellation will function as a space-based data processing network capable of computing vast amounts of information directly in orbit, without relying on any Earth-based infrastructure.

According to a report by Space News, the satellites were launched via a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China on 14 May. The space supercomputer has been developed by Chinese start-up ADA Space in collaboration with Zhejiang Lab and the Neijiang High-Tech Zone. The first 12 satellites represent the initial phase of a larger “Star-Compute Programme” that aims to eventually deploy 2,800 interconnected satellites in space.

Space supercomputer for AI processing

Reportedly, this constellation of supercomputers not only collects data but also processes it. Each satellite is equipped with an 8-billion-parameter AI model capable of performing 744 tera operations per second (TOPS). Together, the fleet of 12 satellites delivers a combined computing capacity of 5 peta operations per second (POPS), with China planning to scale this to 1,000 POPS as the network expands. In comparison, a high-end AI PC like a Microsoft Copilot system only handles about 40 TOPS, meaning this orbital supercomputer is far more powerful than most Earth-based systems.

According to reports, one of the biggest advantages of this system is going to be its ability to process data directly in space instead of sending it all back to Earth. The satellites use ultra-fast laser communication to transmit data at speeds up to 100 Gbps — fast enough to send huge datasets in seconds. They also share 30 terabytes of storage, allowing them to handle complex tasks like analysing satellite imagery, climate data, or even generating 3D digital twin models of cities and landscapes. By processing data in orbit, the space supercomputer can avoid the bottlenecks of expensive Earth-based data transfers which are also slow due to limited ground station capacity.

Another major benefit is energy efficiency. Unlike traditional data centers, which consume massive amounts of electricity and require complex cooling systems, these satellites run on solar power and dissipate heat naturally into space. This makes the space supercomputer constellation much more environmentally friendly, reducing both energy costs and carbon emissions.

“Orbital data centres can use solar power and radiate their heat to space, reducing energy needs and the carbon footprint,” McDowell, a space historian and astronomer at Harvard University, told South China Morning Post.

According to experts, supercomputers in space are the future and could revolutionise fields like disaster response, urban planning, and even gaming by providing real-time, high-resolution simulations without straining Earth’s infrastructure.