In May 2025, which country launched the first AI satellites to build the world's first supercomputer in orbit?

Correct option is B

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

• In May 2025, China successfully launched the first 12 satellites of the "Three-Body Computing Constellation," marking the start of the world's first orbital AI supercomputing network.
• The project was developed by Zhejiang Lab in collaboration with Guoxing Aerospace.
• Each satellite in this constellation is equipped with high-performance AI processing chips (packing approximately 744 TOPS each) and uses 100Gbps laser links for inter-satellite communication.
• By processing data directly in orbit (edge computing), these satellites can perform real-time analysis for astronomical observations, disaster management, and drone navigation without the latency of sending raw data to Earth.

Information Booster:

• The constellation is designed to reach a processing power of 1,000 Peta Operations Per Second (POPS), which is comparable to the world's most powerful terrestrial exascale supercomputers.
• A key advantage of an orbital supercomputer is its independence from terrestrial limitations; it does not rely on land-based power grids or undersea cables and benefits from the natural vacuum and cold of space for cooling its high-intensity processors.

Additional Knowledge:

• India (ISRO): While India has integrated AI into its recent satellite missions for autonomous navigation and data filtering (like in the Chandrayaan series), it has not yet deployed a dedicated supercomputing constellation as of early 2026.
• USA: The U.S. remains a leader in AI and space tech through companies like SpaceX and Microsoft, but this specific "first orbital supercomputer" milestone of May 2025 belongs to the Chinese mission.
• South Korea: In early 2025, South Korea announced a massive investment in terrestrial AI infrastructure, including a plan to acquire 10,000 GPUs for its research centers, but its space-based AI capabilities are currently focused on reconnaissance rather than a decentralized supercomputer.