China Looks Skyward to a Future of Satellite Internet, Data Center Technology
中国仰望卫星互联网与数据中心技术的未来
China Shaping the Future 塑造未来的中国
by Zhu Shenshen 由朱申申
[Tech] [科技]
Shanghai Jiao Tong University 上海交通大学
Share Article: 分享文章：
Credit: Zhu Shenshen / China Biz Buzz图片来源：朱申申 / 中国商业热点
Caption: Shanghai’s SpaceSail now has 256 low-orbit satellites, to hit over 3,000 by 2030.说明：上海星帆目前拥有256颗低轨卫星，到2030年将达到3000颗以上。
The high-stakes space race between China and the US is intensifying far beyond low-Earth orbit, as global aerospace giants vie for orbital dominance and Chinese industry leaders, scientists and policymakers forge a domestic blueprint to overcome existing cost hurdles.中美之间这场高风险的太空竞赛正愈演愈烈，范围早已超出近地轨道。全球航空航天巨头争相争夺轨道主导权，而中国的行业领袖、科学家及政策制定者也在制定国内蓝图，以期攻克现有的成本障碍。
At the 2026 Satellite Internet Industry Ecosystem Conference in Shanghai this week, hundreds of officials gathered to map out the next phase of commercial expansion. The consensus among experts is clear. “China’s satellite internet industry is accelerating the deployment of its network and moving toward large-scale commercial operation,” said Zhang Wenjun, an academician and professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.本周在上海举办的2026卫星互联网产业生态大会上，数百名官员齐聚一堂，规划商业扩张的下一阶段。专家们的共识十分明确。中国工程院院士、上海交通大学教授张文军表示：“中国卫星互联网行业正加快网络部署，迈向大规模商业化运营。”
Credit: Zhu Shenshen / China Biz Buzz来源：朱申申 / 中国商业热点
Caption: Zhang Wenjun, an academician and professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, talks about China-US space race in a satellite Internet forum in Shanghai.说明：张文军是上海交通大学院士、教授，他在上海举办的卫星互联网论坛上谈及中美太空竞赛。
The benchmark for success remains the US, where SpaceX dominates the low-Earth orbit realm with more than 11,000 active satellites and a global customer base exceeding 13.6 million Starlink users. However, Chinese operators are executing a rapid catch-up, anchored by two powerhouses – Beijing-based China Satellite Network Group and Shanghai-backed SpaceSail.成功的标杆仍是美国，SpaceX 凭借超过1.1万颗在轨活跃卫星主导近地轨道领域，星链（Starlink）全球用户超1360万。不过，中国运营商正凭借两大巨头快速追赶——总部位于北京的中国卫星网络集团有限公司，以及上海背景的航天智航（SpaceSail）。
By October, SpaceSail had deployed 256 operational satellites, more than double last year’s total. The company expects to have 324 satellites in orbit by the end of the year, targeting a network of 3,000 satellites by 2030. But the success of all low-orbit operators depends on reusable rockets that reduce costs and increase the availability of launches.截至10月，SpaceSail公司已部署256颗在轨运行卫星，数量超过去年总数的两倍。该公司预计到今年年底将有324颗卫星入轨，并计划到2030年建成拥有3000颗卫星的星座。不过，所有低轨运营商的成功都取决于可重复使用火箭——这种火箭能降低成本、提升发射频次。
China is rapidly closing the technology gap in reusable rocket capabilities and high-capacity payload launches, which enable 20 or more satellites to be deployed on a single mission. Nevertheless, China’s launch costs per satellite remain noticeably higher than those of SpaceX, primarily due to differences in volume and active subscriber density.中国正在迅速缩小可重复使用火箭技术和大载荷发射方面的技术差距，这使得单次任务可部署20颗及以上卫星。不过，受发射量和活跃用户密度差异影响，中国单颗卫星的发射成本仍明显高于SpaceX。
By 2030, China is expected to have 10 million space internet users, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.据工业和信息化部预计，到2030年，中国太空互联网用户将达到1000万。
To counter the vertically integrated model of American aerospace giants, Chinese engineers are pursuing a collaborative, open-architecture framework.为了应对美国航空航天巨头垂直整合的模式，中国工程师正在打造一个协作式的开放式架构框架。
“SpaceX is like Apple, with a complete, mature and tightly controlled industry chain,” said Sheng Yinghua, chief research engineer at China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co, which was established in 2024. “Our path is to build an ‘Android system’ for space, an open framework that lowers entry barriers and boosts overall industry development.”“SpaceX 就像苹果公司，拥有完整、成熟且管控严格的产业链，”2024年成立的中国航天科技集团商业火箭有限公司首席研究工程师盛英华表示。“我们的目标是打造太空领域的‘安卓系统’，这一开放框架能降低行业准入门槛，推动整个产业发展。”
Credit: Ti Gong图片来源：Ti Gong
Caption: A supply chain platform across the Yangtze Delta region is founded.说明：长三角地区供应链平台正式成立。
Shanghai is taking a central role in driving this open infrastructure. During the conference, municipal authorities unveiled upgraded policies and support platforms designed to build a complete “space-air-ground” integrated communications ecosystem.上海在推动这一开放基础设施建设方面正发挥核心作用。会议期间，上海市相关部门推出了升级后的政策与支持平台，旨在构建完整的“空天地”一体化通信生态系统。
The initiative includes a new city-level industrial fund, a next-generation communications accelerator and a unified supply chain platform spanning the entire Yangtze River Delta region. The cross-regional platform brings together research institutes, satellite manufacturers, telecom carriers and commercial rocket companies to drive down costs. Shanghai aims to develop over 100 demonstration projects and expand its core satellite internet industry past 80 billion yuan (US$11.2 billion) by 2030.该举措包括一项新的市级产业基金、一个下一代通信加速器以及一个覆盖整个长江三角洲地区的统一供应链平台。这个跨区域平台整合了科研机构、卫星制造商、电信运营商和商业火箭公司，以降低成本。上海计划打造100多个示范项目，并力争到2030年实现卫星互联网核心产业规模突破800亿元人民币（合112亿美元）。
Chinese researchers and private firms are also betting heavily on high-altitude orbits and “space computing” – deploying AI processing directly onto satellite hardware to overcome fundamental spectrum and bandwidth bottlenecks.中国的研究人员和私营企业也在大力押注高轨道和“太空计算”——将人工智能处理能力直接部署到卫星硬件上，以突破频谱和带宽的根本性瓶颈。
Credit: Zhu Shenshen / China Biz Buzz来源：朱申申 / 中国商业热点
Caption: A Shanghai-based firm showcases components of space computing and communications onsite.说明：一家总部位于上海的企业在现场展示航天计算与通信相关组件。
It’s much cheaper to operate data centers in space, where they can access abundant solar power without night cycles or weather interference. By analyzing, compressing and filtering raw data directly in space using AI, satellites can transmit refined intelligence back to Earth without overloading limited radio frequencies.在太空中运营数据中心的成本要低得多，那里可以获取充足的太阳能，且没有昼夜交替或天气干扰。通过在太空中直接利用人工智能对原始数据进行分析、压缩和筛选，卫星能够将处理后的情报传回地球，同时不会给有限的无线电频率造成过载。
A key example of this shift is Fudan University’s newly unveiled Star Nexus project. The initiative plans to deploy over 1,000 space computing satellites in coming years, including 200 units equipped with advanced AI capabilities. These orbital nodes will support high-precision meteorological models, remote-sensing microwave imaging and experimental high-performance quantum computing.这一转变的一个关键案例是复旦大学新公布的“星核”项目。该计划计划在未来几年部署1000余颗空间计算卫星，其中包括200颗搭载先进人工智能功能的卫星。这些轨道节点将为高精度气象模型、遥感微波成像以及高性能量子计算实验提供支持。
Chi Nan, deputy president of Fudan University, said Shanghai has an advantage in that domain, with its dense cluster of domestic AI chip designers and optical communications developers.复旦大学副校长迟楠表示，上海在该领域具备优势，拥有密集的国内人工智能芯片设计企业和光通信研发企业集群。
“With AI-powered compression and edge processing, customized satellite video services – including real-time video communications and direct streaming – will become a commercial reality,” added Jiao Tong University’s Zhang.“借助人工智能驱动的压缩技术和边缘计算处理，定制化卫星视频服务——包括实时视频通信和直接流媒体服务——将成为商业现实，”上海交通大学的张教授补充道。
Commercial applications are already taking flight. Shanghai-based satellite technology firm Comospace has developed compact “AI boxes” powered by domestic microprocessors designed specifically for processing in a space environment. Several units are currently operating in orbit, processing real-time data for emergency disaster response, precision agriculture and urban planning.商业应用已然落地。总部位于上海的卫星技术公司九天微星已研发出由国产微处理器驱动的紧凑型“AI盒子”，该设备专为太空环境下的运算而设计。目前已有多台设备在轨运行，为应急救灾、精准农业和城市规划处理实时数据。
The rapid expansion of satellite connectivity is also spilling over into adjacent terrestrial industries, particularly China’s burgeoning low-altitude sector, which includes drones and emerging “flying cars.”卫星连接的快速扩张也正渗透到相邻的地面产业，尤其是中国蓬勃发展的低空领域，该领域包括无人机以及新兴的“飞行汽车”。
Xu Yunxiang, vice president of SpaceSail, emphasized that global satellite coverage solves long-standing communication blind spots for uncrewed aerial vehicles. By guaranteeing real-time, beyond-line-of-sight control and telemetry, commercial satellite networks are creating the digital highway required for autonomous drone logistics and advanced air mobility to scale up safely across the country.宇帆航天副总裁徐云祥强调，全球卫星覆盖解决了无人机长期存在的通信盲区问题。商业卫星网络通过保障实时超视距控制与遥测数据传输，正在打造数字通道，为无人机自主物流和先进空中交通在全国范围内安全规模化发展提供支撑。
Editor: Liu Qi 编辑：刘琦
