Pioneer China's solution for space governance, AOE China space orbit data, Kaiyun Aerospace provides the world with one more choice.
The global commercial aerospace industry has entered a concentrated constellation networking phase for megaconstellations, with the number of on-orbit space targets continuing to surge. Currently, there are approximately 68,450 space objects larger than 10 centimeters in orbit, of which around 11,300 are active payloads; there are roughly 1.5 million pieces of debris measuring 1 to 10 centimeters, and the estimated number of tiny debris from 1 millimeter to 1 centimeter reaches 230 million. High-speed flying debris keeps pushing collision risks to a higher level, and space situational awareness has evolved from a supporting link for aerospace operations in the past to a fundamental infrastructure underpinning the development of the entire commercial aerospace industry. The AOE space data platform is an independent and trusted space target cataloging and data service platform developed by Kaiyun Aerospace based on the space-ground coordinated observation network of the Xinghan Program, serving users across the globe. The project launched the construction of the Xinghan Program in 2021, with plans to deploy ground-based space observation stations in 30 countries around the world, and simultaneously build a space-based observation network consisting of 4 constellations with a total of 408 satellites. Equipped with self-developed orbit algorithms to implement the AOE space data platform, the project is currently in the phase of expanding its layout to diversified industry scenarios.
Anchor on the core scenario of supplying independent and trusted space orbit data
Domestic industries have long relied on the TLE orbit dataset released by overseas NORAD, which is constrained by external supply, limited in accuracy, lagging in update, and poorly adapted to specific scenarios of domestic constellations, making it difficult to support the regular operation and maintenance of constellations and refined collision warning.
Orbit cataloging, debris monitoring, and on-orbit risk assessment have gradually become rigid industry demands with the development of aerospace technology, and are gradually applied in fields such as rocket launch, constellation operation and maintenance, satellite insurance, disaster relief, and scientific research. The whole world is using TLE data, and there is a lack of standardized space data products that support stable subscription, continuous iteration, and more scenario-based functions. With the successive implementation of policies related to space traffic governance and data element circulation, the Xinghan Program and the AOE space data platform have found real industrial landing points.
Based on the space-ground integrated observation system of the Xinghan Program, the project takes "observable, calculable, manageable, and usable" as its core positioning, and its products are directly connected to scenarios including satellite on-orbit operation and maintenance, collision risk assessment, space debris tracking, and space traffic management. Its target customers are very clear: commercial constellation operators, aerospace research institutes, universities, aerospace insurance institutions, and relevant entities engaged in space traffic management.
It provides launch-to-orbit support for rocket enterprises; carries out on-orbit operation management and collision risk management for constellation operators; outputs comprehensive space situational awareness for scientific research and special entities; and further extends to innovative businesses such as space asset assessment, on-orbit risk pricing, and space insurance finance, covering the full life cycle of space assets. Its customer groups cover the special government end-users, university research institutes, megaconstellation operators such as China SatNet, and financial institutions. The government end-users form a stable basic market, while megaconstellations will release large-scale incremental demand after 2027, driving the market volume to rise from tens of millions to the 100-million level and then to the level of several billion, with a long-term prospect of reaching the scale of tens of billions.
Build the global Xinghan networking as the foundation for situational awareness, and empower standardized data platform with algorithms
In terms of technical route, the project follows the path of "building a solid foundation through the Xinghan network, and empowering via the data platform". The Xinghan Program deploys situational awareness capabilities in two lines: on one hand, it sets up distributed ground-based observation nodes, and gradually completes the deployment of ground-based space observation stations covering 30 countries around the world; on the other hand, it plans to deploy 4 space-based observation constellations with a total of 408 sensing satellites, to realize mutual complementation between space and ground and full global coverage. The AOE space data platform aggregates multi-source observation data from space-based and ground-based sources collected by the Xinghan network, completes the detection, tracking, database construction and cataloging of space targets, and outputs capabilities including orbit prediction, collision risk assessment and debris tracking relying on self-developed orbit algorithms, with a complete supporting mechanism for data governance, security management and control, and element circulation.
The team keeps all core links including observation equipment calibration, original observation data production, and orbit determination algorithm iteration in its own hands, to avoid being constrained by others in terms of data sources. At the same time, it cooperates with industry, university and research institutes to tackle key technologies such as micro debris capture and high-frequency orbit determination for low-orbit targets, deploy related intellectual property rights, and continuously raise the technical barriers.
AOE Links to the Future
What the AOE space data platform is doing seems basic, but it affects the overall situation: it aggregates scattered satellite orbit data, observation data and historical data to build a unified, open and schedulable data platform. It targets very specific pain points — in the past, it often took several days to search for a lost satellite, and the commercial satellite data of different entities were isolated from each other, making it difficult to coordinate and schedule in emergency situations. AOE is developed precisely to break the "information silos" in the space sector.
Around this data platform, AOE is expanding its reach to a wider range of industry scenarios:
Special sectors: real-time orbit tracking, collision warning, emergency response, which shortens the positioning time of lost satellites from several days to several hours;
Commercial aerospace: integrate the orbit data of various commercial satellites to realize unified scheduling and collaborative observation, so that the commercial aerospace industry can evolve from "fighting on their own" to "joint operation";
Finance and insurance: introduce satellite remote sensing data and orbit information into risk assessment and insurance actuarial calculation, to find a direct financial realization path for aerospace data;
Scientific research and education: open data interfaces to universities and research institutions, lowering the scientific research threshold for space science and astronomical observation;
Public science popularization: ordinary users can also "watch the stars" through AOE, making aerospace no longer the exclusive story of the national aerospace team.
To make the ecosystem operate smoothly, openness is the key. Kaiyun Aerospace is willing to open and share its own satellites, ground stations and data capabilities, which is no easy gesture. But aerospace is never a cause that can be accomplished by one single player — technology is only the foundation. Only by gathering more partners to join in can the ecosystem truly function. For AOE, the goal is not to build a brighter satellite, but to build a bridge to make space data truly flow, and connect all scenarios including special sectors, commercial sectors, finance, scientific research and the public.
In 2026, Kaiyun Group has completed a 500 million-yuan Series A financing, and received support from many institutions including Beijing Commercial Aerospace and Low-altitude Economy Industry Investment Fund, Wuxi Liangxi Science and Technology City Industry Investment, Dachen Caizhi, China Commercial Fund, Shenwan Hongyuan, Yunbai Capital, Bohua Capital, West Lake Sci-Tech Innovation Investment, and Shunxi Fund. This financing, pooling the strength of diversified capital, will help the company accelerate core technology R&D, the construction of space-ground integrated space infrastructure and commercial application.