China · Shared orbital research and AI-compute platform
Pengcheng Tianma / PEGA-SUS1
This project focuses on shared orbital computing for research and AI workloads.
PEGA-SUS1, also Pengcheng Nanke-1, launched on 20 September 2026 as the first spacecraft in Peng Cheng Laboratory's planned nine-satellite Tianma program. The 150 kg research platform combines communications, sensing and onboard AI, including an updatable digital-retina computing payload. In-orbit validation is planned; commercial compute services and tested performance are not established.
Figures retain their disclosed units and scope. Launched hardware does not establish demonstrated performance; targets may change. Not disclosed means no figure in the reviewed sources.
PROJECT RELATIONSHIPS
Suppliers & project partners
Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen (哈尔滨工业大学深圳校区)
Research participant
Program organization: Peng Cheng Laboratory (鹏城实验室)
Partnership
Compute & storage · Communications
The Guangdong aerospace-communications laboratory at HIT Shenzhen contributed the integrated satellite architecture and communications/compute payload design and development.
The source establishes the named technical role. The date is the public report date, not an inferred procurement-signing date. Contracting buyer, instrument, price and exclusivity are not disclosed.
Announced 25 Sept 2026 · Evidence checked 26 Sept 2026
Program organization: Peng Cheng Laboratory (鹏城实验室)
Supplier selected
Launch capacity
Delivered Kinetica-1 Y18 launch service for the first Pengcheng Tianma satellite.
The source establishes the named technical role. The date is the public report date, not an inferred procurement-signing date. Contracting buyer, instrument, price and exclusivity are not disclosed.
Announced 20 Sept 2026 · Evidence checked 26 Sept 2026
Guangzhou Chengxing Communication Technology Co., Ltd. (广州程星通信科技有限公司)
Research participant
Program organization: Peng Cheng Laboratory (鹏城实验室)
Partnership
Research & feasibility studies
Named joint development participation in PEGA-SUS1 / Pengcheng Nanke-1, the first Tianma spacecraft.
The source does not allocate Chengxing a specific payload. SUSTech separately identifies its own team as lead developer of the Ka-band phased-array payload.
Announced 20 Sept 2026 · Evidence checked 20 Oct 2026
Program organization: Peng Cheng Laboratory (鹏城实验室)
Partnership
Spacecraft & integration
GalaxySpace is a named joint developer of PEGA-SUS1 / Pengcheng Nanke-1, the first Tianma research spacecraft.
PCL names joint development but does not allocate a specific bus or compute component to this participant. Contracting buyer, procurement terms, exact workshare and value remain undisclosed.
Announced 20 Sept 2026 · Evidence checked 26 Sept 2026
Southern University of Science and Technology (南方科技大学)
Research participant
Program organization: Peng Cheng Laboratory (鹏城实验室)
Partnership
Spacecraft & integration
SUSTech jointly developed PEGA-SUS1 and its electromagnetic-information laboratory led development of the integrated Ka-band multibeam phased-array communications payload.
PCL names joint development. SUSTech's September20 account identifies the Ka-band RF front-end contribution with independently steerable parallel beams. No procurement price or numerical link performance is disclosed. Supporting source https://newshub.sustech.edu.cn/html/202609/47904.html
Announced 20 Sept 2026 · Evidence checked 31 Oct 2026
Complete and publish in-orbit communications/AI validation; subsequent satellite dates have not been disclosed
Manual review 31 Oct 2026. Compared the laboratory launch report with SUSTech and HIT Shenzhen payload accounts. Added the onboard NTN/core-network architecture, Ka multibeam array and coding/compression functions. These are launched design descriptions, with no published AI benchmark or completed 100 Gbps link result. Primary body last observed 23 Oct, 06:36 UTC. Source monitoring: ongoing. Source collection and substantive profile review are separate checks. Plans and dates may change.
The university's Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aerospace Communication and Networking Technology describes its satellite architecture and communications/compute payload contributions, with further in-orbit validation planned.
The first of nine planned satellites entered its planned orbit on CAS Space's Kinetica-1 Y18. PCL names GalaxySpace, SUSTech, the State Key Laboratory of Satellite Internet and the Guangdong laboratory as joint developers. Its digital-retina payload supports onboard image processing and model updates.
CAS Space reports the September 20, 2026 Lijian-1 Y18 launch of nine satellites, including PEGA-SUS1 and Super Computing-1. It identifies PEGA-SUS1 as a GalaxySpace/Peng Cheng Laboratory/SUSTech technology demonstrator with 5G-NTN, onboard AI computing and laser communications, and Super Computing-1 as a remote-sensing satellite carrying a 4 m visible camera and AI computer for onboard processing and target recognition.
