Geely: Geespace to debut first satellite network

MANILA: Geespace, a Geely Technology Group subsidiary, will be rolling out its first satellite network to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the first satellite launch of China. In a report from Geespace, the OmniCloud satellite-based AI cloud platform will be introduced together with its first two satellites. The satellites will also go through validation testing before delivery to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in North West China for its low-orbit launch.

Geespace satellites reflect the investment and support that Geely has made in terms of new facilities. This latest satellite network will not only aid the 3D mobility ecology of Geely, but also support urban development, unmanned drone flight, intelligent manufacturing, future mobility, and other initiatives.

Geely is one of the well-recognized automobile companies in China because of its investments in Proton, Volvo, and Daimler. It established its facilities in Taizhou, where it has vehicle plants. The goal of Geely is to develop 500 satellites yearly by 2025 through approximately 300 staff.

In 2018, Geely Holding penetrated the aerospace industry with the development of Geespace for the operation, introduction, and production of low-orbit satellites. According to Geely, low-orbit satellites will have cloud computing features enabling vehicles with autonomous driving technology, accurate navigation, and high-speed internet access.

The first two satellites of the Geely subsidiary tested with all performance parameters compliant with design requirements ahead of further environmental screening. They will go through validation testing in June and undergo different environmental trials like vibration tests designed to simulate satellite conditions in a launch environment. Another test would be the thermal vacuum tests that depict the operating atmosphere in a vacuum of space at intense sub-zero temperatures.

The first two Geespace satellites are equipped to deliver high-precision, centimeter-precise positioning services to users and assist OmniCloud operation, a new satellite-based AI cloud platform that Geespace has developed.

OmniCloud is an open platform that uses information from the satellite network to support products and services based on satellites. Urban traffic management becomes more effective through the utilization of OmniCloud. This is evident in services like ride-sharing and ride-hailing management, public transportation fleet management, artificial intelligence, and high-precision positioning information for vehicles.

OmniCloud will be able to keep track of the surrounding environment through the use of fully integrated infrastructure and vehicles to develop autonomous drive. This enables the Omnicloud to aid with AI decision making to support a highly independent and safe driving experience. With the aid of sensors on the production equipment, OmniCloud can deliver support to the industrial sector, enabling operators to maintain, control, and monitor equipment remotely at any place and time.

OmniCloud will be introduced together with the debut of the IoT satellites in the second half of this year.

In March 2020, the Geely Holding Group invested 2.27 billion yuan (US$326 million) for Geespace to deliver high-precision data for self-driving vehicles through low-orbit satellites.

In 2020, the chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Li Shufu, set out his dream for the future of the transformation of Geely Holding to becoming a technology-driven social initiative. Geely Holding aims to focus on a broader scope — protecting the environment while striving towards sustainable growth at the same time through satellite technology.

Photos from Geely

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