Chinese company launches new-generation satellite-borne laser communication terminal

Xi'an Zhongke Tianta Technology Co Ltd unveiled its new-generation satellite-borne laser communication terminal at the "2026 China Space Day" High-Quality Development Forum for the Commercial Aerospace Industry held on April 24 in Chengdu, Sichuan province in Southwest China.
Leveraging advanced laser communication technology, the product addresses key challenges in low Earth orbit constellations, including high-speed data transmission, stable link establishment, and secure communications. It significantly enhances satellite autonomy and large-scale constellation management, enabling what the company describes as autonomous space operations.

Laser communication drives LEO constellation upgrade
Currently, the global commercial aerospace industry has officially entered a critical period of large-scale construction of low-orbit satellite constellations, with the number of satellites in orbit growing exponentially. By 2025, total satellite filings worldwide had exceeded 200,000, and the number of satellites in orbit is expected to reach the million level in the future.
In China, major projects such as satellite internet constellations and the "Thousand Sails" initiative are accelerating, cementing LEO satellites as the industry’s mainstream direction. However, rapid increases in satellite numbers, continuous functional upgrades, and growing management complexity are exposing the limitations of traditional ground-based telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) systems. These include heavy data transmission loads, slow inter-satellite link formation, high operational costs, and limited autonomy. High-speed, stable, and secure inter-satellite communication and intelligent on-orbit management have become the core key to breaking through the shackles of industry development.
Against this backdrop, Xi'an Zhongke Tianta Technology Co Ltd’s new terminal delivers comprehensive upgrades in both technology and performance.
At the forum, Deputy General Manager Jing Zhenlong presented a keynote titled "Intelligent Linking of the Universe: When AI Meets Inter-satellite Laser, Reshaping the Security Boundary of Satellites," showcasing the product and its core architecture. Its compact design, high integration, and strong performance drew significant attention.
Compared with traditional microwave communication, laser communication offers higher bandwidth, lower latency, narrower beams, stronger security, and better resistance to interference. It enables a shift in TT&C systems from primarily ground-based to fully integrated space-ground networks.
The new terminal achieves breakthroughs in rapid link acquisition, long-duration link stability, high-precision pointing, and adaptability to complex environments. It operates reliably under satellite micro-vibration conditions and has set records for both rapid link establishment and sustained stable links during national project validations.
The system adopts an independent control architecture that does not occupy satellite main control resources, improving reliability and compatibility across multiple satellite platforms and application scenarios. It supports inter-satellite networking, real-time remote sensing data transmission, and high-speed satellite internet services, effectively addressing key bottlenecks in low Earth orbit constellation operations.

AI integration enables "Space Intelligent Driving"
At the forum, Zhongke Tianta also signed strategic cooperation agreements with Elliptic Space-Time Beijing Technology Co Ltd and Tianjin Yunyao Aerospace Technology Co Ltd. The three parties will carry out in-depth collaboration across the full value chain, including adaptive research and development, batch deployment, payload integration, on-orbit operation and maintenance, and coordinated telemetry, operation, and control, with the aim of building a new commercial aerospace ecosystem.
To accelerate commercialization and meet large-scale delivery demand, the company has established a high-standard clean assembly facility and a full-process reliability testing environment in Xi'an. A dedicated production line for satellite laser communication terminals, with an annual capacity exceeding 500 units, is expected to be put into operation in mid-May this year.
In terms of technological innovation, the company has introduced the concept of "Space Intelligent Driving" by integrating artificial intelligence with laser communication to address the challenges of managing large-scale satellite constellations.
By combining its self-developed aerospace large model with laser communication technology, Zhongke Tianta enables satellites to autonomously establish and maintain links, transmit data, and avoid obstacles, advancing satellite operations toward intelligent autonomy.
The company's aerospace large model, first released in September 2024, is the first large-scale AI model in China's aerospace telemetry, tracking, and command field. It has since been continuously upgraded and now includes a range of intelligent agents supporting anomaly root-cause analysis, orbital operations automation, document processing, code generation, multi-source data retrieval, and on-orbit decision support.
According to Chief Executive Officer Zeng Weigang, the system represents a three-stage evolution in satellite management, moving from manual control to software automation and then to AI-driven autonomous decision-making.
Within this framework, laser communication enables high-speed data transmission and precise sensing, while AI supports rapid decision-making and autonomous management, covering satellite status monitoring, fault prediction, mission planning, and satellite control.
This approach reduces reliance on specialized personnel and lowers long-term operation and maintenance costs, while improving safety, stability, and efficiency. It is designed to support the large-scale, reliable operation of constellations with up to millions of satellites and provides a new technological pathway for the sustainable development of commercial space.

Strong Research Foundation Supports Industry Advancement
Zhongke Tianta serves as the sole commercial aerospace industrialization platform of the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Incubated by Xi'an CAS Optics and Precision Mechanics Investment Holdings, the company builds on more than twenty years of expertise in space optics and laser communication. This foundation draws on technological achievements from major national programs, including human spaceflight, lunar exploration, and the Beidou navigation system.
Meng Xiangsheng, senior engineer at the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, noted that the Xi'an institute has been advancing laser communication technology since 2004, covering the full development cycle from theoretical research to on-orbit validation, and has contributed to multiple national missions.
The newly released terminal reflects the deep integration of the institute's hardware expertise with Zhongke Tianta's software capabilities and represents a practical example of technology commercialization.
Since its establishment in 2017, Zhongke Tianta has grown into a national high-tech enterprise and a national-level specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprise. It holds 42 invention patents and 142 software copyrights, and its core team members have an average of more than 20 years of aerospace experience.
The company has developed a full-chain service system integrating space and ground as well as software and hardware. Its ground segment focuses on satellite operations management and provides full-stack services such as telemetry, tracking, and command, health management, simulation training, and automated control. Its space segment centers on the laser communication terminal, enabling high-speed, secure, and intelligent payload capabilities.
Through the coordinated integration of "AI software and laser communication hardware," Zhongke Tianta has established a closed-loop system combining ground-based intelligent operations with on-board core payloads. It is among the few companies in China capable of delivering full-chain satellite solutions.
Looking ahead, the company aims to continue driving industry development through technological innovation and contribute to the advancement of China's commercial space sector.