China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) to develop space-based AI data centres

Key facts

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced plans to construct gigawatt-class space digital-intelligence infrastructure over the next five years.
• The project aims to create an industrial-scale Space Cloud by 2030 by integrating space-based solar power with artificial intelligence (AI) computing.
• The initiative is identified as a core pillar of China's 15th Five Year Plan, which serves as the national economic development roadmap.
• The space data centres will integrate cloud, edge, and terminal device capabilities to enable data from Earth to be processed directly in orbit.
• SpaceX plans to launch solar-powered AI data centre satellites within the next two to three years, utilizing orbital solar panels that produce five times more power than terrestrial ones.
• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) aims to commence flight operations for suborbital space tourism and develop orbital space tourism within five years.
• The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) inaugurated the School of Interstellar Navigation to focus on frontier fields including interstellar propulsion and deep space navigation.
• China achieved a record 93 space launches last year as part of its strategic goal to become a world-leading space power by 2045.
• India link not mentioned in the article.