China Unveils 'Nebula Constellation' Plan as Zhongke Xingyun Starts Space-Computing Firm in Hefei (November 9, 2026)

Event overview ​

On November 9, 2026, the 2026 Space Cloud Industry Ecosystem Conference and the founding conference of Zhongke Xingyun were held in Hefei's high-tech zone. CCTV News reported that the Nebula Constellation plan and other space-cloud industrialization results were released at the event, marking a shift in China's space-cloud ecosystem from technical validation to industrial deployment.

The Nebula Constellation plan was jointly developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) and domestic technology companies. It is positioned as a full-stack, domestically developed space-computing network covering the entire chain from domestic computing chips to satellite applications. The project will rely on domestic developers of computing chips, server systems, satellite manufacturing and satellite applications to build a technology system spanning core component development through constellation networking and applications, forming a unified space-ground computing network.

On the same day, Zhongke Xingyun Space Intelligent Technology (Hefei) Co. was formally established and began operating. Dawen News reported registered capital of 1.5 billion yuan, with 16 founding entities: six industrial shareholders — Zhongke Xingtu, Zhongke Sugon, Hygon Information, Xingtu Measurement and Control, Sugon Data Energy and Zhongke Satellite — plus Guoke Development, Chengtong Sci-Tech, Wanneng Capital, Huaan Jiaye, the Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Department's mother fund, Hefei Industrial Investment and Hefei High-Tech Venture Capital.

Key facts ​

What "space cloud" means: from single-satellite observation to in-orbit coordination ​

CCTV News defines "space cloud" as an in-orbit, coordinated space-based cloud service system. It changes the traditional model of "single-satellite observation, data transmitted to the ground for processing," allowing space-based resources to be called on demand and connected instantly.

The system integrates remote-sensing, communication and computing satellites into an intelligent space-based information service system, moving from "functional single satellites" to an "intelligent constellation." According to CCTV, China's high-resolution remote-sensing satellites already rank among the world's leaders in technical level and number in orbit, and high-throughput communication satellites are in a phase of rapid development, providing the in-orbit resource base for a space cloud.

The key technical change is that not all data has to be sent back to the ground. Dawen News describes space computing as letting satellites "compute while collecting, compute while imaging," with inter-satellite high-speed links and in-orbit networking complementing terrestrial computing networks. A CCTV report republished by Ycwb adds the motivation: massive data sets no longer need to be fully transmitted to the ground; only results are sent back after in-orbit processing, cutting bandwidth use and improving response time. Orbital solar power can supply computing equipment directly, easing the energy and grid-connection pressure on terrestrial data centers.

Wu Yirong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and academic dean of AIR, said at the conference that the space cloud ultimately serves users, with scheduling, planning and management carried out in space, so that anyone who needs satellite services can obtain them, lowering the professional barrier and raising service quality. Shao Zongyou, chairman of Zhongke Xingyun, said the company will use Space Cloud standards and specifications to build a constellation that shares resources and interoperates in space, build a large-scale computing network in orbit, and use space computing to meet ground demand through space-ground coordination.

The three-step path: sensing, communication, supercomputing ​

Zhongke Xingyun's stated technical direction moves from "computing in space" toward "space-ground equivalence" in three steps.

The first step is sensing-computing integration: sensing and computing work together in orbit so satellites "compute while collecting, compute while imaging," delivering high-real-time sensing and computing capability. This addresses the timeliness problem in remote sensing — process immediately after imaging and transmit only results.

The second step is communication-computing integration: inter-satellite high-speed links and in-orbit networked computing support the coordinated operation of mega remote-sensing constellations and high-throughput space-based information processing. This addresses connectivity within the constellation, allowing computing power across many satellites to be scheduled together.

The third step is supercomputing coordination: aggregating in-orbit computing power to build a large-scale, high-performance orbital data center, eventually forming a space-ground equivalent network with unified scheduling of sensing, communication, computing and applications. The goal is to turn space from a data relay point into a first-tier computing node equal to and complementary with the ground.

The sequence reflects engineering constraints. Without inter-satellite high-speed links, in-orbit computing stays confined to single satellites; without a unified scheduling and billing system, an orbital data center cannot serve external customers. Putting sensing-computing first means validating in-orbit processing in remote-sensing scenarios before extending to communications and supercomputing.

Why full-stack domestic: the shareholder base sets the technology route ​

Zhongke Xingyun's 16 founding entities form a chain from chips to applications. Dawen News lists the roles: Hygon Information supplies domestic high-end computing chips, Zhongke Sugon supplies server systems and intelligent computing infrastructure, Xingtu Measurement and Control supplies satellite measurement, control and operation, Sugon Data Energy supplies thermal management for computing infrastructure, Zhongke Satellite supplies sensing-computing constellation construction and operation, and Zhongke Xingtu connects space-based data with information services.

Shao Zongyou explained the role of that structure: with Hygon's foundation, the company can inherit the terrestrial computing ecosystem and applications; with the computing-network entry point held by Zhongke Sugon, ground applications can be extended into space. That explains what "full-stack domestic" means in practice — not redesigning every chip, but adapting a proven domestic computing stack to the space environment.

Space imposes different requirements: low power, high performance, high reliability, and tolerance of radiation and temperature swings. Zhongke Xingyun said at the conference that it aims to break through in-orbit computing solutions suited to harsh space conditions and form a vertically integrated model. Technical details were not disclosed, and this site does not speculate.

Hefei's role: scenarios, capital and industrial base ​

Zhongke Xingyun's decision to locate in Hefei is directly tied to the local industrial base. Hefei has gathered more than 190 commercial-space companies and institutions, with an industry-chain value above 10 billion yuan, and can build satellite structures, core components, launch vehicles and constellations. At the conference, partner institutions jointly initiated the Nebula Space Intelligence Industry Fund to finance the Space Cloud plan and the growth of companies in the chain.

Hefei's computing industry is also a factor. Space computing is defined as an extension of terrestrial computing, and Zhongke Xingyun can use Hefei's computing infrastructure to develop space applications. Once the Nebula space infrastructure is built, it is intended to serve natural-resource surveys, emergency disaster reduction, the low-altitude economy and space security, connect to national computing-network service nodes, and provide integrated space-ground computing services globally.

Impact and limits ​

First, space computing moves from concept to company operations. Several Chinese localities have already launched related projects: in early November 2026, the Beijing Space Computing Innovation Center released an integrated space-ground space-computing cloud platform; in July, Shanghai released the "Star Pivot" plan's first constellation. Zhongke Xingyun differs by having an independent company take over a research institute's technical accumulation, with chips, servers, satellites, measurement and control, and thermal management inside one shareholder structure.

Second, the business model is unproven. Zhongke Xingyun has described a space-ground equivalent computing network and unified scheduling, but has not published rules for billing, settlement, customer access or orbital-data compliance. Who the customers are and what unit of service is billed remain unanswered officially.

Third, third-party estimates need clear labeling. Securities Times cited an International Energy Agency study saying grid constraints alone could delay about 20% of global data-center capacity planned before 2030; a Starcloud estimate putting the ten-year core cost of an equivalent data center at about $8.2 million in space versus about $167 million on the ground; and CCID Consulting projecting the global space-computing market rising from about $300 million in 2020 to about $16 billion by 2030. All three are third-party estimates, not figures disclosed by Zhongke Xingyun or AIR.

The limits are explicit: the number of satellites in the Nebula constellation, the first launch date, per-satellite computing power and in-orbit networking progress were not disclosed in public reports from the conference. Beyond the phrase "intent authorization for intellectual property," there is no detailed public information on the equity or IP relationship between the Nebula Constellation plan and Zhongke Xingyun. This site previously covered Fengyun satellites' AI weather models (Fengyun satellite AI weather model explainer); this article does not repeat that remote-sensing application material.

Official sources ​

• CCTV News: Nebula Constellation plan released, China's space-computing network accelerates
• Dawen News: A nebula lands in Hefei, the space-computing network is coming
• The Paper (Hefei Release): In Hefei, the Space Cloud ecosystem gathers pace
• Ycwb, republishing CCTV: Space computing becomes a new global competitive front
• Securities Times (via Sina Finance): New progress in space-computing network deployment