Chongfan Technology
News
23
2026
-
07
The Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has facilitated the establishment and full‑chain development of spaceborne laser communication in Shaanxi Province.
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As low‑Earth‑orbit satellite constellations scale up year after year and undergo rapid technological iteration, laser communication has become an indispensable foundational capability. After more than two decades of independent research and development, the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XIOPM) has leveraged its strengths in original innovation and, in collaboration with its commercial space‑industry platform, Xi’an Zhongke Tianta Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhongke Tianta), established a seamless end‑to‑end value chain for laser communication—spanning scientific breakthroughs, engineering mass production, and on‑orbit intelligent operations. Following the achievement of core technological milestones that brought spaceborne laser communication from “zero to one,” Shaanxi’s first specialized smart production line for spaceborne laser communication officially commenced operation in Xi’an on July 16. Laser communication terminals will serve as critical payloads, significantly enhancing satellites’ autonomous operation, efficient network formation, and large‑scale constellation management capabilities.
As a specialized industrialization platform in the commercial space sector, Zhongke Tianta is committed to scaling laser communication terminals from prototype to mass production. To date, it has completed the development of spaceborne laser communication terminals and on-orbit intelligent systems capable of large-scale manufacturing, while simultaneously launching the full‑network internal testing of its aerospace vertical large model, “Huashan.” This enables the bidirectional deployment of space‑based optoelectronic hardware and aerospace‑specific intelligent algorithms, providing robust technical and application support for all‑domain “space‑intelligent driving” in satellite operations.
After more than two decades of dedicated research, we have firmly established the core technological foundation of space-based laser communication.
Grounded in the nation’s critical need for an integrated space–air–ground network, the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics has, since 2004, pursued independent innovation—from foundational pre‑research and technological breakthroughs to on-orbit validation—while deeply cultivating the field of high‑speed inter‑satellite optical communication. By pioneering the frontier of space‑based optoelectronics, it has forged entirely new technological pathways in weak‑light detection and high‑speed coherent communications.
Through continuous iteration and refinement, the research team has successively overcome a series of critical challenges, including multi‑standard compatible communications and long‑range deep‑space optical transmission. At the same time, they have been actively developing cutting‑edge technologies such as 100‑Gbps atmospheric laser communication and Tbps ultra‑high‑speed laser communication, with multiple experimental results setting new domestic records. Leveraging its longstanding technological expertise, the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics has undertaken numerous major national projects, cumulatively developing over one hundred sets of spaceborne laser communication terminals, some of which are already in operational service in orbit. On‑orbit performance data demonstrate that the domestically developed terminals can achieve rapid inter‑satellite laser pointing and stable communication, providing long‑term support for high‑volume cross‑satellite data exchange.
Continuously iterated, in-house‑developed technologies and mature products that have been rigorously tested in space have laid a comprehensive technological foundation for the deployment of intelligent on‑board laser communication production lines and the realization of large‑scale, industrial‑grade manufacturing. This has bridged the critical preliminary link between cutting‑edge research and scalable industrial applications, firmly establishing a robust scientific and engineering base for the construction of mega‑constellations and for achieving end‑to‑end, domestically controlled supply chains.
By pooling resources and coordinating efforts, we will achieve the large-scale production and practical application of research findings.
Through collaborative “industry–university–research” partnerships and close integration between research institutes and platforms, the project has effectively addressed the bottleneck of scientific findings remaining confined to the laboratory and struggling to achieve large-scale commercialization, while also driving the industrialization of core spaceborne laser communication technologies accumulated over more than two decades.
At the commissioning ceremony, Hao Wei, Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his important speeches at the National Science and Technology Awards Conference, the Joint Academician Conference of the Two Academies, and the 11th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, emphasized the need to “promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation.” The Institute has consistently upheld high‑quality Party building as the guiding force for the high‑quality development of its science and technology endeavors, firmly adhering to its mission as a key pillar of China’s national strategic scientific and technological forces. Targeting the nation’s strategic needs in satellite internet development, the Institute has focused on core technologies for space‑based laser communications, forging close collaboration with industrialization‑oriented enterprises such as Zhongke Tianta. By translating more original, cutting‑edge technologies into real productive capacity, it is advancing the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, accelerating technology validation and iterative refinement, facilitating the transition of scientific and technological achievements from the laboratory to practical market applications, and hastening the cultivation of new drivers and competitive advantages for development.
He stated that basic research is the ultimate source of scientific and technological innovation, and that any leap‑forward advancement in industrial technologies hinges on breakthroughs in fundamental theories and core mechanisms. The Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics will continue to strengthen its foundation in basic research, leveraging high‑quality scientific and technological outputs to drive industrial innovation and aligning high‑level industrial needs with targeted technological breakthroughs, thereby making an even greater contribution to China’s goal of achieving a high level of scientific and technological self‑reliance and strength.
Zeng Weigang, General Manager of Zhongke Tianta, provided an overview of the production line’s overall construction. This digital, intelligent production line spans 2,000 square meters and is located in the Quyue Engine Photonics Manufacturing Park within Xi’an High-tech Zone. It encompasses the entire manufacturing process, from component assembly and adjustment to complete machine integration, precision debugging, space‑environment simulation, and automated testing. Supported by a digital management system and a fully automated comprehensive test platform, it can simultaneously conduct performance evaluations on multiple units and, through its intelligent systems, automatically detect product defects, thereby ensuring consistent quality in mass production.
In Phase I, the production line will be capable of manufacturing 600 laser communication terminals annually, with plans to ramp up to an annual output of over 1,000 units by 2027. The mass‑produced terminals support data rates ranging from 5 Gbps to 100 Gbps, feature a compact form factor, low power consumption, and strong anti‑interference performance. All core optical components are independently developed by the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, ensuring full compatibility with the large‑scale deployment requirements of various low‑Earth‑orbit megaconstellations.
Integrating software and hardware, and uniting space and Earth, we are ushering in an era of autonomous, self‑controlled “space intelligent driving.”
As laser communication hardware enters mass production, Zhongke Tianta recently launched a full‑network internal beta test of its aerospace‑specific large‑scale model, “Huashan,” aiming to deliver an end‑to‑end solution that integrates hardware‑based transmission with intelligent analysis and decision‑making, thereby addressing the complex operational and management challenges inherent in deploying and operating mega‑constellations.
Zeng Weigang stated that, during on-orbit operations, large satellite constellations face significant challenges: the sheer volume of space‑based data makes rapid intercommunication difficult, and space collisions or equipment malfunctions cannot be predicted in advance, leaving all response efforts to ground‑based manual intervention and resulting in low operational efficiency. In October 2024, the company launched “Huashan,” China’s first industry‑specific vertical private‑domain large model for aerospace, which deeply integrates specialized knowledge bases in orbital dynamics, electro‑optical systems, and spacecraft operations and maintenance, thereby becoming an AI‑driven, industry‑tailored system designed specifically for on‑orbit satellite management. When paired with the “Huashan” large model, onboard laser communication terminals can help establish an integrated “space–ground” autonomous satellite operation framework.
“Spaceborne laser communication terminals serve as the backbone for high‑speed information transmission in space, primarily tasked with enabling rapid, high‑rate inter‑satellite data exchange. Leveraging this communication link, a wide array of data—such as orbital conditions, equipment status, and space‑debris monitoring—collected by satellites across the entire network can be aggregated in real time. A lightweight ‘Huashan’ large model, tailored to the constrained computational resources of satellites, can autonomously analyze data in orbit, assess collision risks, detect equipment malfunctions, and automatically issue commands for orbital maneuvers and communication repairs, significantly reducing ground‑based manual intervention and truly enabling autonomous on‑orbit satellite operations,” explained Zeng Weigang.
According to reports, Zhongke Tianta will steadily expand its production capacity and continue to upgrade its spaceborne laser communication terminal products. Meanwhile, the “Huashan” aerospace large-scale model will be fully integrated into the entire R&D process—covering terminal design, intelligent production scheduling, fault simulation, and product iteration—thereby empowering both the research and manufacturing sides. By continuously broadening the range of application scenarios in the aerospace sector and refining a domestically developed, end-to-end “Space‑to‑Ground Intelligent Driving” solution, the company aims to support the high‑quality, large‑scale, and independently controllable development of China’s commercial space industry.
Source: Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics
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