China Launches Two AI-Powered Satellites for Autonomous Management and Weather Forecasting
China has successfully launched two AI-powered satellites, Jitianxing A-04 and Xiguang-2 03, into orbit using the Lijian-1 Yao-15 rocket. Jitianxing A-04 features an embodied AI model for autonomous self-management and real-time model updates, while Xiguang-2 03 runs on-orbit AI models for minute-level weather forecasting. This launch marks a significant shift from traditional ground-controlled satellite operations to autonomous, edge-computing-driven space infrastructure. By processing data and updating models directly in orbit, these satellites drastically reduce latency for critical tasks like disaster response and weather forecasting. Jitianxing A-04 features an AI-designed, 3D-printed structure and allows operators to upload newly trained AI models from Earth to orbit daily. Meanwhile, Xiguang-2 03 bypasses the traditional 90-minute ground-processing delay by running three end-to-end AI meteorological models directly in space.
## BACKGROUND
Traditional satellites rely heavily on ground stations to send pre-programmed commands and process raw data, which introduces significant latency. Embodied AI refers to AI systems integrated into physical bodies that can interact with and adapt to their environments. The "Three-Body Computing Constellation" is a space computing infrastructure project initiated by Zhejiang Lab, aiming to deploy 1,000 interconnected satellites by 2032 to enable collaborative in-orbit computing.