Your smartphone’s processing energy seems to be lovable in comparison with what China simply launched into orbit. The nation’s area program has deployed the primary 12 satellites of its ambitiously named Three-Physique Computing Constellation – a space-based supercomputer that makes even essentially the most superior Earth-bound programs appear to be calculators from the ‘90s.
This isn’t your typical satellite tv for pc launch. Every of those orbital computer systems packs an AI mannequin with 8 billion parameters and crunches knowledge at 744 trillion operations per second. If that sounds spectacular, it’s as a result of it’s – these 12 satellites alone ship a mixed 5 peta operations per second, they usually’re simply the beginning of a deliberate 2,800-satellite constellation.
The race for AI dominance simply moved to low Earth orbit, and Western tech firms are nonetheless determining the place to park their server farms.
House: The Final Server Room
The genius of this method isn’t simply uncooked computing energy – it’s location. Conventional satellites are area cameras, sending every part again to Earth for processing. The issue? Lower than 10 % of collected knowledge usually makes it to the bottom on account of bandwidth limitations.
China’s new satellites flip conventional fashions on their head. Somewhat than simply beaming uncooked knowledge again to Earth, these orbital processors analyze every part in area and transmit solely the completed outcomes. This innovation showcases how direct-to-cell satellite technology is evolving to convey extra environment friendly, highly effective connectivity.
These satellites speak to one another at blazing speeds of 100 Gbps by way of laser hyperlinks whereas sharing 30 terabytes of storage. That’s sufficient bandwidth to stream about 20,000 Netflix motion pictures concurrently between satellites. It’s an formidable leap that hints at how space-based internet backup may someday outperform even our greatest Earth-bound connections.
The functions transcend bragging rights. These satellites can generate 3D digital twins of Earth in real-time, revolutionizing catastrophe response, digital tourism, and sensible metropolis planning. They’re even geared up with X-ray polarization detectors to check cosmic occasions like gamma-ray bursts.
The Darkish Facet of Orbital Intelligence
Let’s not child ourselves in regards to the dual-use potential right here. A constellation that may create detailed real-time 3D fashions of Earth’s floor is as a lot a surveillance system as it’s a scientific instrument, like constructing the Death Star however claiming it’s only a very highly effective observatory.
Navy functions appear inevitable. The power to course of huge quantities of intelligence knowledge with out sending it again to Earth creates unprecedented benefits in battlefield consciousness and safety operations. This isn’t nearly beating Silicon Valley; it’s about redefining strategic capabilities in area.
Privateness consultants additionally notice that these programs function past the jurisdiction of terrestrial knowledge safety legal guidelines. With no worldwide framework governing space-based knowledge assortment and processing, we’re getting into a regulatory wild west above our ambiance.
If the concept of a space-based AI community makes you nervous, take into account the environmental vivid aspect. Information facilities at the moment devour about 1-2% of world electrical energy and generate carbon emissions equal to the airline business. By utilizing limitless solar energy and radiating warmth instantly into area, these orbital computer systems sidestep each issues.
Jonathan McDowell, an area historian and astronomer at Harvard College, notes that “Orbital knowledge centres can use solar energy and radiate their warmth to area, lowering the vitality wants and carbon footprint.” It seems area could be essentially the most eco-friendly place to place our computing infrastructure.
The complete constellation, focused for completion within the subsequent few years, will ship a staggering 1,000 POPS of computing energy. That’s sufficient to make Western tech giants nervously test their innovation roadmaps whereas calculating how shortly they’ll launch their orbital knowledge facilities.
Named after Liu Cixin’s acclaimed sci-fi trilogy, the Three-Physique Computing Constellation represents the more and more blurry line between science fiction and China’s technological actuality. Whereas we have been busy debating whether or not AI would cross the Turing test, China constructed an precise Skynet and put it in orbit.
This marks a pivotal second the place computation itself begins migrating off-planet, leaving Earth-bound computing wanting distinctly last-century.
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