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Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
China successfully tests home-grown OS in space to reduce foreign software dependence
In a move to minimize dependency on foreign software amid increasing sanctions from the West, particularly the US, China has successfully tested an indigenously-developed operating system in space. After launching into the orbit, the Dalian-1 Lianli CubeSat spent over 1,000 hours testing satellite subsystems powered by OpenHarmony real-time operating system (RTOS)—a streamlined, light-weight, open-source version of Huawei's HarmonyOS. The trials assessed the platform's ability to manage onboard functions with increased efficiency and reliability in space conditions. Researchers from Dalian and Xian demonstrated that the suitcase-sized satellite, deployed from China's Tiangong space station last year, achieved faster data updates and greater operational stability with OpenHarmony. As per findings published in the journal Space: Science and Technology, the home-grown system outperformed earlier setups that relied on basic firmware or foreign software, the South China Morning Post reported. According to Yu Xiaozhou, lead author of the study and a professor at Dalian University of Technology, the Lianli satellite mission demonstrated that using the OpenHarmony real-time operating system significantly enhanced the satellite's response speed and reliability. Yu's team implemented the OpenHarmony RTOS on three critical subsystems of the Lianli satellite: the magnetometer, sun sensor, and attitude unit, which collectively determine its position and orientation. The mission demonstrated that all these subsystems operated reliably and without issues. Following the OpenHarmony upgrade, the subsystems responded to commands within just two microseconds, demonstrating a remarkable increase in processing speed. This enhancement also enabled continuous data updates at significantly higher rates than previous configurations, improving the satellite's overall efficiency and real-time responsiveness during its mission. Marking a milestone in China's space tech development, the Lianli microsatellite became the first to operate using both the OpenHarmony real-time operating system and a domestically produced chip. This fully home-grown hardware-software combination offers a new alternative for spacecraft operating systems on a global scale, as per Chinese media reports. Building on the success of the Lianli mission, Yu and his team introduced national technical standards for integrating OpenHarmony into small satellites. The move aims to standardize its application and accelerate wider adoption—momentum that is already evident in both commercial and research satellite projects across China. Blacklisted by the US in 2019, Huawei lost access to key American tech—prompting China to fast-track self-reliance efforts, including in operating systems. Developed in response, OpenHarmony is now overseen by China's OpenAtom Foundation and has expanded into satellites and embedded systems. In a 2023 interview with state news agency Xinhua, Yu observed that China long depended on foreign or open-source operating systems like FreeRTOS for its small satellites. While FreeRTOS offered early benefits due to its cost-free availability, this reliance later proved problematic—especially when access to foreign-made chips became restricted, limiting the usability of even open systems. Yu further explained that the reliance on foreign software and hardware had placed significant constraints on domestic satellite development teams. Overcoming these limitations has since become a central challenge in advancing China's technological self-sufficiency.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Spurred by US sanctions, China adapts Huawei's HarmonyOS for microsatellites
China has successfully tested a home-grown operating system in space , marking a major step towards reducing reliance on foreign software and boosting the performance of future small satellites. Advertisement More than 1,000 hours of in-orbit testing were conducted aboard the Dalian-1 Lianli CubeSat to evaluate how satellite subsystems performed under the OpenHarmony real-time operating system (RTOS) – a lightweight version of Huawei 's open-source operation platform, according to a team of researchers from the Chinese cities of Dalian and Xian. With OpenHarmony , the suitcase-sized satellite, which was released from China's Tiangong space station last year, delivered faster data updates and improved stability compared with earlier set-ups using simpler firmware or foreign software, the researchers reported in the latest issue of the journal Space: Science and Technology. 'The Lianli satellite mission showed that using the OpenHarmony real-time operating system significantly improved the satellite's response speed and reliability,' Yu Xiaozhou, the paper's lead author and a professor at Dalian University of Technology, told Chinese media in May. The Dalian-1 Lianli has been installed with the OpenHarmony real-time operating system. Illustration: Handout As the first microsatellite to carry the OpenHarmony RTOS, Lianli also ran on a domestically produced chip, 'achieving a fully home-grown hardware-software solution in the field, and offering a new option for spacecraft operating systems worldwide', according to Chinese media reports. Advertisement Following the Lianli mission, Yu and colleagues proposed national technical standards to guide how OpenHarmony is used in small satellites – a step intended to encourage broader adoption, which is already taking place across both commercial and research satellite missions in China.
