A Long March 2D carrier rocket launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

A Long March 2D carrier rocket, carrying a space computing satellite constellation, which includes the satellite named Taizhou, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, on May 14.

This marks the launch of the world's first space computing constellation, with Taizhou becoming the first computing satellite in Zhejiang province named after a prefecture-level city.

The launch of this constellation signals the beginning of a new chapter in the global space computing era. Wang Jian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Zhejiang Lab, explained that the facility will process data in real-time in orbit, promoting the application and development of artificial intelligence in space.

The constellation will establish an open and shared space computing system through inter-satellite laser high-speed interconnection, constellation stable networking, and computing distributed scheduling, creating a space-based intelligent computing infrastructure.

This infrastructure can help China lead the global establishment of space computing systems, and extend the boundaries of artificial intelligence from the ground to space.

In addition to computing and interconnection capabilities, the first satellite constellation is equiped with Earth observation payloads. These capabilities will enable real-time in-orbit data processing.