Recently, a team from the Space-based Intelligence Laboratory at the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences, reviewed the recent development trends in orbital edge computing. They conducts a comprehensive survey and analysis of OEC's system architecture, applications, algorithms, and simulation tools, providing a solid background for researchers in the field. By discussing OEC use cases and the challenges faced, potential research directions for future OEC research are proposed.
The team published their work in Chinese Journal of Aeronautics (Vol. 38, Issue 7, 2025).
Orbital Edge Computing (OEC) is an emerging paradigm that involves performing computational tasks directly on satellites in orbit instead of sending all the data back to Earth for processing. Satellites are equipped with powerful computing resources and connect and collaborate to construct OEC networks, which can provide computation offloading services for ground and airborne users. Satellites and IoT devices (such as smartphones, tablets, monitors, etc.) can offload computing tasks to OEC networks to achieve high-speed, low-latency, and low-cost computing.
OEC holds significant promise for enabling next-generation applications such as AR/VR experiences and ultra-high-definition video transmission in remote or mobile environments, where terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable or limited. By processing data directly on satellites, it reduces latency and alleviates bandwidth constraints, enabling real-time or near-real-time services. In Earth observation, satellite edge computing allows for efficient on-orbit data processing and intelligent target detection, minimizing the need to transmit raw data back to Earth. Furthermore, it supports federated learning across distributed satellites, enabling collaborative AI model training while preserving data privacy and reducing inter-satellite communication overhead. These capabilities position satellite edge computing as a key enabler of intelligent, autonomous, and responsive space systems.
However, the research and development of OEC face numerous challenges. Satellites primarily rely on solar energy for power. During their orbit, they spend roughly half the time in Earth's shadow, during which they must depend on stored energy reserves. The trend toward satellite miniaturization imposes strict physical constraints such as limited weight and volume, which restrict energy storage capacity and computational power consumption. These limitations make it challenging to sustain continuous and high-performance edge computing onboard.
High-performance computing hardware is more susceptible to space radiation and tends to consume more power and generate substantial heat. Unlike on Earth, where heat can be dissipated via convection, satellites can only dissipate heat through conduction to their surfaces followed by radiation. To protect sensitive components and manage thermal loads, satellites require additional radiation shielding, cooling systems, and larger energy storage—each adding size and weight. This increase directly raises launch costs, which are already significant. For example, SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch costs about $62 million to send a 22,800 kg satellite to low Earth orbit, equating to roughly $2,720 per kilogram.
The authors drew on the development experience of terrestrial edge computing to propose some ideas and reflections on the development and research trends of OEC.
"The development of satellite edge computing (OEC) is driven by key trends focusing on resource optimization, infrastructure innovation, and system adaptability. Efficient utilization of limited bandwidth and onboard processing power requires sophisticated routing and node selection strategies that account for dynamic satellite resources, network topology changes, and fault tolerance. The emergence of space data centers aims to localize data storage closer to users, reducing latency and communication costs while enhancing resilience to natural disasters. Satellite caching strategies, enabled by SDN and NFV technologies, are evolving to address the challenges posed by dynamic satellite coverage through collaborative caching and edge-enhanced content delivery. On the hardware front, the growing demand for OEC services is pushing the design of energy-efficient, reliable computing hardware tailored for space environments, often leveraging commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Virtualization technologies, including lightweight microservices and containerization, promise rapid and flexible service deployment despite constrained satellite resources. Finally, the complexity and scale of satellite constellations necessitate the development of advanced testing platforms to simulate diverse application scenarios and validate new algorithms, facilitating the transition of OEC from concept to practical implementation."
Original Source
Zengshan YIN, Changhao WU, Chongbin GUO, Yuanchun LI, Mengwei XU, Weiwei GAO, Chuanxiu CHI. A comprehensive survey of orbital edge computing: Systems, applications, and algorithms [J]. Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cja.2024.11.026.
About Chinese Journal of Aeronautics
Chinese Journal of Aeronautics (CJA) is an open access, peer-reviewed international journal covering all aspects of aerospace engineering, monthly published by Elsevier. The Journal reports the scientific and technological achievements and frontiers in aeronautic engineering and astronautic engineering, in both theory and practice. CJA is indexed in SCI (IF = 5.7, Q1), EI, IAA, AJ, CSA, Scopus.
