China has begun launching satellites for a giant computer network in space, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Newsweek contacted the company and the United States Space Force for comment.

Why It Matters

Space is an increasing frontier for competition between China and the United States. Putting a computer network in space marks a step change from using satellites for sensing and communications, but leaving them dependent on their connections to Earth for data processing.

The satellite constellation planned by China would allow the network to operate free of such constraints. It would avoid the need for the costly cooling systems that Earth-based computing requires and remove it from the risks of being tied to the ground — also providing potential military advantages in the event of conflict.

The new network’s artificial intelligence capabilities highlight the intensification of the AI race between China and the United States.

What To Know

The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said that 12 satellites were launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China aboard a Long March 2D rocket on May 14.

“It successfully sent the space computing satellite constellation into the predetermined orbit. The launch mission was a complete success,” it said. “The space computing satellite constellation is the first constellation of the ‘Star Computing’ program.”

The satellites of the Star Computing program are developed by the Guoxing Aerospace Corporation.

The plan is to have 2,800 satellites that will be connected to each other by laser in a single computing network, according to the Chinese-language ST daily, the official newspaper of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The number of satellites is still small compared to the Starlink communications network of Elon Musk‘s SpaceX, which is the world’s largest satellite constellation and had more than 6,750 satellites in orbit by the end of February, according to the company. Launches continue and it may eventually expand to over 30,000 satellites.

In a sign of the U.S.-China space rivalry, an American military satellite was tracked “buzzing” its Chinese counterparts recently. Chinese space projects in Latin America have become a concern for the United States, a top U.S. general warned.

What People Are Saying

The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology’s ST Daily: “The construction of the first constellation will build a future computing network… meet the growing demand for real-time computing in space, and help the country take the lead in building global space computing infrastructure, take the commanding heights of the path of the future industry and break through the boundaries of the field of artificial intelligence from the ground to space.”

Jonathan McDowell of Harvard University, quoted by the South China Morning Post: “Orbital data centres can use solar power and radiate their heat to space, reducing the energy needs and carbon footprint… Today’s Chinese launch is the first substantial flight test of the networking part of this concept.”

What Happens Next

China is expected to intensify research as it seeks to surpass the United States in space technologies, high speed computing and artificial intelligence.