Space-based computing means processing data in orbit, including AI and remote-sensing workloads, instead of sending all raw data back to Earth.
Xingshu Tiansuan said the launch marked a step closer to the commercial operation of China’s first space-based computing network.
The announcement coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, where he cast Beijing as the champion of a new global AI order.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, following its February merger with xAI, is advancing its own space-based computing initiatives, seeking to accelerate AI development.
Advocates say sending processed results back to Earth rather than large volumes of raw data can reduce latency and bandwidth pressure.