AI Satellite Constellation 'Lingjing' Debuts Globally, Plans 1,000 Satellites for Real-Time Earth Observation

On September 26, the "Lingjing Constellation", a space-based AI infrastructure jointly developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and Zhejiang Province, made its global debut at the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo. The project involves a planned total investment of about 30 billion yuan, with the first batch of 9 satellites scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2027. The long-term goal is to operate 1,000 satellites in orbit for all-weather real-time Earth observation.

Unlike traditional remote sensing satellites that rely on ground-based analysis, Lingjing embeds AI processing capabilities in orbit. Each satellite carries a space intelligent processing unit powered by "Tianxuan · Qianhe", described as China's first independently developed, high-resolution, global-scale space AI foundation model. This enables onboard identification of crop types, monitoring of water pollution, and analysis of traffic congestion, reducing response time from hours to minutes.

The satellites are equipped with visible light, thermal infrared, hyperspectral, and radar payloads, providing multi-modal observation even at night or under cloudy conditions. The constellation also plans to open satellite interfaces, share technical standards and in-orbit verification conditions, and offer an open satellite computing platform for universities, research institutes, and companies to deploy and validate industry-specific large models in space.

According to Hangzhou Siwei Space Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., the operator, Lingjing will also interconnect with other commercial satellites in orbit, sharing observation data and computing resources to build a broader space intelligence ecosystem.