China expands AI satellite constellation

In July 2026 China began deploying a space‑based artificial‑intelligence computing network. The inaugural launch placed the first satellites of a planned 1,000‑satellite constellation into orbit, designed to process AI workloads and remote‑sensing data directly in space and send only final results to ground stations, cutting latency and bandwidth demand.

A week later a Long March 15 launch added five more satellites, including two fully autonomous platforms that run AI models onboard. One can detect ground anomalies such as forest fires, while the other performs atmospheric analysis to generate weather forecasts in seconds. Both receive updated AI models from Earth, marking a transition to operational autonomous AI services in orbit.

On 24 July 2026 a Lijian‑1 Y15 rocket carried five satellites for the "Three‑Body Computing Constellation" project, targeting 100 AI‑enabled satellites by 2027. Among them, Jitian Star A‑04 embeds an AI model from Zhejiang Lab that monitors its own health, plans missions and detects forest‑fire anomalies; Xiguang‑2 03 hosts three AI meteorological models that compress the traditional 90‑minute data‑to‑forecast cycle to near‑real‑time, delivering rapid weather alerts directly from orbit.

On 7 August 2026 China launched a pair of AI‑powered satellites equipped with on‑board neural‑network chips that process environmental and maritime data in orbit. The autonomous analysis provides near‑real‑time information on weather anomalies, crop conditions and disaster events, and is promoted as a low‑barrier service for developing nations. The deployment is part of a broader acceleration of China’s space programme, which also includes the upcoming Chang’e‑7 lunar‑south‑pole mission and reflects a renewed space‑race dynamic with the United States.