New 'AI

Also called WJ-1A, the satellite launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia onboard a CERES-1 Y7 rocket on August 11, 2023. Apart from "WonderJourney," the rocket also carried six other satellites, including Xiguang-1 01, that will be used for Earth observation, serving natural resources, agriculture, forestry, smart city, and disaster reduction. Another satellite was Starpool I-1B, designed for remote sensing, satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground communication, and navigation augmentation.

“[String Edge AI Platform] serves as the satellite’s brain, allowing real-time observation and processing. Traditionally, data has to be sent back to a ground control center for analysis and instructions. But WJ-1A can handle it on the fly,” Chen explained.

“WJ-1A is China’s first satellite with artificial intelligence (AI) at its core, featuring a smart operating system, and it will soon be put into operation,” the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer Wang Chunhui said last week. The satellite's primary task will be to conduct system testing and validate various intelligent applications for efficiency in orbit. These applications include connecting with future smart cars and drones and monitoring environmental conditions like forest fires, soil moisture, and pest diseases.

“WJ-1A is equipped with high-resolution cameras, near-infrared cameras, and VR panoramic cameras, allowing for various image processing tasks. Through image semantic understanding, it can recognize forests and oceans. It is also capable of target identification, lossless compression, and data cleaning,” Chen added.

Compared to traditional satellites, the satellite can analyze 3,861 miles²(10,000 km²) and track objects in just a few hours, which takes roughly 180 days. The satellite is equipped with functions for communication and is being updated to become an AI assistant in space. Ground users can speak to it, similar to ChatGPT.

19 more to come

“It’s like an untapped ‘brain’; in order to make it smarter, more users from various industries are needed to teach it,” Chen said. Chen announced that "WonderJourney" will expand its constellation to 20 satellites by the end of 2024, in collaboration with partners, to improve coverage and communication efficiency.