Journalists learned on a certain date from the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences that the high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite "Tianzhi-2" (Jilin-1 platform satellite), developed under the leadership of the institute, is equipped with the institute's self-developed satellite "brain." It will conduct a series of on-orbit intelligent information processing technology experiments, which are expected to significantly enhance the quality and efficiency of remote sensing observations.

The "Tianzhi II" satellite employs the independently developed "Tianzhi" supercomputing microsystem as its "brain," capable of performing complex computations such as deep learning and optimization solving, thereby possessing the ability to "think in space and respond instantly." "With the satellite's 'brain,' we can delegate tasks that previously required ground transmission for processing, such as enhancing remote sensing image quality, target recognition, and satellite batch task scheduling, entirely to the satellite itself," said Wang Peng, executive project leader of the "Tianzhi II" satellite and associate researcher at the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The satellite generates new imaging tasks in real-time based on onboard identification results, reducing the cycle for high-quality planning and decision-making from several hours to just a few minutes.

At the same time, the "Tianzhi" supercomputing microsystem also has the capability for on-orbit software injection and update, allowing for the upgrade of intelligent algorithm models and software as needed. "With this capability, expanding satellite functions is as simple as installing new applications on a smartphone. This will provide flexible software support for complex applications such as distributed decision-making under large-scale constellations, multi-satellite collaboration, and data fusion in the future," said Wang Peng.

It is reported that the "Tianzhi-2" satellite, developed in collaboration between the Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., has been successfully launched into space on the same day as the Long March 5B Yao-5 carrier rocket.