Expanding into Space: US-China Semiconductor War... Related Experiments at Chinese Space Station

Simultaneous Testing of Over 10 Computer Processors
Military Technology Experiments Also Free at Own Space Station

China simultaneously tested over 100 computer processors on its own space station. It appears that the semiconductor war with the United States is expanding into space.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 24th that researchers from the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) published a paper containing this information last month in the Chinese academic journal Space Environment Engineering.

According to SCMP, the paper stated that China's space station "Tiangong" can currently test more than 100 computer processors simultaneously. The researchers revealed that over 20 new high-performance semiconductors, ranging from 28 to 16 nanometers (nm, one billionth of a meter) in process technology, have already passed testing. They explained, "This technology is significantly more advanced than the chips used by other countries in space."

In fact, the chips used by NASA in space employ technology that is already 30 years old. The RAD750 processor used in the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which boasts the highest specifications currently available, was manufactured using outdated 250-nanometer technology.

The Chinese researchers explained that the semiconductors tested on Tiangong were entirely designed and manufactured in China. The operating system used for the tests was also China's independently developed "SpaceOS." The researchers predicted that more Chinese semiconductor companies would attempt to test their products in space. Large-scale testing through the space station allows for rapid technological improvements and reduces research and development (R&D) costs.

It is interpreted that China is preparing for the semiconductor war with the United States by rapidly enhancing its semiconductor technology through this approach. The International Space Station (ISS), involving 15 countries including the United States, is larger than Tiangong and can conduct similar experiments, but all cargo information loaded onto the ISS must be shared among participating countries. Military technology-related experiments are also prohibited. Therefore, it is difficult to conduct national security-related tests. NASA's decision last year to entrust private companies such as SpaceX with the design and manufacture of semiconductors for manned lunar landings and Mars exploration missions aligns with this context. In contrast, China can freely conduct experiments on its own space station.

SCMP analyzed that China, which has set a goal of becoming the world's strongest space power by 2045, no longer views NASA as its biggest competitor but rather private space companies like SpaceX.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.