China has successfully launched into orbit a unique satellite “Penchen-1”, which integrates 5G NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) technology, piece intelligence and laser communication. The first in the history of the region, when such advanced systems were combined and tested in space.

First in history: “Telecom-Sensoring-Intelligence-Counting” in orbit.

On June 20, 2026, at about 12:03 p.m. Beijing time, the Lijian-1 Yao-18 launch vehicle was successfully launched from the commercial Dongfeng Space Launch Center.. There were nine satellites on board the rocket, including the special landing site “Penchen-1” (also known as “Penchen-Nanke-1”). This satellite is a key element of the Telecom-Sensoring-Intellect-Accounting program and has become the first spacecraft in China to combine a 5G NTN base station, a core network, and on-board computing.

The development of Penchen-1 was the result of extensive collaboration between Galaxy Aerospace, the Penchen Laboratory, the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of China University of Science and Technology,. The main coordinator of the project was the Penchen Laboratory, and the final coordinators were the Penchen Laboratory and the Povdenno-China University of Science and Technology.

Innovative technologies on one satellite.

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5G NTN communication module that complies with 3GPP standards.

High speed laser communication module with 100 Gbit/s speed.

On-board computing module “Digital Retina”.

Due to the complete integration of these components, the companion clicks on the new concept of spacecraft design - “one companion for a wide range of tasks, multiple functions”. This transfers the evolution of satellites from simple carriers of other services to powerful large-scale information “supernodes” that integrate connections, sensors, computing and intelligent data processing.

“5G brain” in space: how it works?

As explained by Ren Jiadong, the head of the satellite systems division of Galaxy Aerospace, “Penchen-1” essentially transfers the “brain” of the ground-based 5G network – its core – directly into space. This allows you to process information much closer to the target.

Signals from satellite sensors (for example, images from a camera) reach the on-board intelligence module. There, it is necessary to identify and recognize purposes, extract relevant information and transform it into a format suitable for transmission to the network. This collected data is securely imported into the on-board core of the network via the high-speed interface.

Terrestrial users connecting to the satellite feed via a Ka-band terminal can access analyzed information in real time, similar to viewing web pages at regular intervals.. This significantly speeds up access to data and allows decisions to be made based on the latest information..

New options for responding to stress situations.

Deep integration of satellite communication and intelligent remote sensing opens up new horizons for sleeping robots. For example, during forest fires, the traditional approach involves transmitting large amounts of data to Earth, generating images, and then analyzing. At the same time, the satellite can independently analyze remote sensing data directly in orbit, identify the fact of the fire, estimate its scale and quickly transmit the result, without overwhelmingly overloading the original images.

This significantly reduces the demand on satellite data transmission bandwidth and speeds up the time needed to retrieve critical information.. At the same time, the possibility of selective access to unacquired video and photo data is lost.

A look at the future: 6G and space measurements.

The future Penchen-1 satellite will be used for testing advanced 6G technologies. As soon as the space-terrestrial boundaries that unite the ground are created, the cosmic segments will be integrated into a single, continuous system..

The launch of this satellite marks a new stage in the development of space technology in China, pushing towards the creation of more intelligent, powerful and universal spacecraft.

Dzherelo: https://www. ithome. com/1/004/730. htmChina launched a satellite with 5G NTN for the first time and read on the HiTech website. Expert.