A newly launched Chinese satellite constellation equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology could significantly accelerate early warnings for wildfires, landslides and other surface anomalies.

The “Muduo 1” scientific experimental constellation, developed by Beijing Normal University, was launched Tuesday aboard a Long March-6C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China.

The two-satellite system, Muduo 1A and 1B, is capable of more than 100 trillion operations per second. Onboard AI enables the satellites to detect and analyse anomalies in orbit, reducing processing time from the traditional two to six hours to as little as one minute in laboratory tests.

Muduo 1A conducts wide-area multispectral surveys, while hyperspectral satellite Muduo 1B examines specific targets through inter-satellite laser communication.

The system can identify more than 10 types of anomalies, including floods, forest fires, landslides and illegal mining. Researchers plan to expand the constellation and enhance its AI capabilities for disaster prevention, ecological protection and natural resource management.