At the APEC High-Level Forum on AI, representatives from political circles, international organizations, and industry experts held discussions. The main topic was how to make artificial intelligence technologies more accessible, inclusive, and beneficial for the entire population.
Forum participants questioned how artificial intelligence can expand opportunities for a larger number of people and create new possibilities for all segments of society. Experts shared their views on ways to achieve this goal.
The Milky Way may have undergone a drastic transformation in its orientation due to a significant collision that occurred approximately ten to eleven billion years ago. This hypothesis was recently proposed by astronomers from the University of Durham during the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting, held in Birmingham.
The conclusion was reached through the analysis of cosmological simulations involving galaxies similar to ours, which were compared with data obtained by the Gaia mission, belonging to the European Space Agency. The main objective of this study is to elucidate why the stellar halo of the Milky Way exhibits a rotation rate considerably slower than predicted by researchers.
If this interpretation is validated, it will add a new segment to the narrative of galaxy formation and may provide clues about the evolution of dark matter. Furthermore, it suggests that the location of the Solar System within the Milky Way has not maintained a constant orientation over time.
To investigate the cause of the slow rotation of the stellar halo, scientists monitored the evolution of twenty-five galaxies with characteristics similar to the Milky Way using supercomputers over billions of years. The goal was to determine which events could result in a configuration similar to what is currently observed.
The comparison showed that galaxies whose stellar halos rotate more slowly possessed two notable characteristics: they had suffered a head-on impact with another galaxy and subsequently experienced an orientation change greater than 90 degrees in their disks, an event termed by astronomers as a 'disc flip.'
Kirill Batrakov, the researcher responsible for the study, pointed out that the history of the Milky Way itself points to the possibility of this process having occurred in our galaxy. He stated during the presentation at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting: 'We already know that the Milky Way underwent a massive head-on collision with a galaxy known as Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus. Therefore, we believe that the Milky Way's disk probably also changed orientation in the past.'
The researchers recall that Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus, nicknamed the 'Sausage Galaxy,' was a dwarf galaxy incorporated into the Milky Way between ten and eleven billion years ago. This encounter is considered the largest merger event in the early phase of our galaxy, leaving behind billions of stars in extremely elongated orbits.
According to the authors, identifying this ancient disk inversion expands the possibilities for understanding the behavior of the dark matter halo, as the findings indicate a strong correlation between the rotation of this invisible structure and that of the stellar halo.
Batrakov emphasizes that a modification of this magnitude would have altered the path of most stars in the Milky Way. He stated: 'A disk flip means that most stars in the Milky Way have traveled very different paths than those currently observed, possibly even our Sun, which indicates that our seemingly stable position in the galaxy may not have been the case throughout the entire existence of the Solar System.'
The astronomer also emphasizes that reconstructing such remote episodes aids in comparing the evolution of the Milky Way with that of other galaxies. Batrakov concluded during the dissemination of the study: 'Since we live inside the Milky Way, we can study it with a level of detail impossible in any other galaxy. Discovering that its disk changed orientation adds a new chapter to its history and shows that it is possible to reconstruct this complex past from current observations.'
Hongjun New Energy, founded by veterans of SMIC, has successfully passed space-grade qualification for heterojunction (HJT) solar cells aboard a computing satellite, demonstrating an approach based on semiconductor technology to create next-generation photovoltaic elements.
In May 2026, Hongjun New Energy achieved confirmation of the quality of space-standard HJT solar cells on a computing satellite. The team is led by Jiang Qingtang, who holds a physics degree from Peking University and has worked at SMIC since 2001. This team consists of SMIC veterans who apply semiconductor precision to photovoltaic technologies. The founders, who worked together at SMIC for over two decades, began working in solar energy around 2007 before merging in Zhuhai.
The development of space solar cells required a significant technological shift. Hongjun's primary product was previously N-type heterojunction cells for terrestrial use; however, for space application, a P-type architecture with thinner wafers, adjusted film layers, optimized electrodes, and appropriate sealing was necessary to withstand the harsh conditions of the space environment. The first two test batches in early 2025 failed the tests, and the fourth batch was also unsuccessful. Each iteration consumed R&D resources and required production line downtime, directly impacting delivery schedules. Wang Haijun admitted that the team was severely discouraged after the fourth failure. Nevertheless, founder Jiang Qingtang insisted on continuing the research, and the fifth and sixth samples eventually passed validation, leading to successful deployment on the computing satellite.
Heterojunction technology, originally developed by the Japanese company Sanyo, is characterized by low-temperature processing and higher conversion efficiency compared to mainstream TOPCon cells. This technology offers high bifacial efficiency, a low temperature coefficient, and the potential for thin wafers, as well as better compatibility with perovskite tandem architectures for future cells. Hongjun consciously chose this more technically complex path instead of following the TOPCon mainstream, which attracted most of the capital and capacity during the photovoltaic industry expansion period from 2023 to 2025. Gaining a team with semiconductor experience gave them confidence in their ability to solve interface control and process reliability issues that limited the scaling of mass HJT production.
The terrestrial market remains the foundation for Hongjun, where traditional modules and distributed projects support the operation of production lines and customer qualifications. The company is targeting regions in the Middle East and Africa with high temperatures and radiation exposure for differentiated application markets where its technology advantages are most pronounced. The path of space photovoltaics represents a long-term, higher-value opportunity. Although short-term volumes will not match terrestrial production, the successful space qualification creates barriers: satellite operators and solar panel manufacturers will favor partners with proven space-grade qualifications, establishing a protected commercial position as the space computing economy grows. Hongjun is exploring BC, HBC, and perovskite tandem technologies. Senior Vice President Wang noted that the company aims to lead in technology, not in volume. The achievement in space solar cells confirms the viability of tackling the most complex challenges first to build stronger competitive advantages. As space computing develops, Hongjun possesses a pioneer advantage in qualification.
Over three days, from July 22 to 24, China conducted three rocket launches that deployed 15 satellites. These missions, carried out by the companies Orienspace Gravity-1, CZ-3B, and CAS Space Lijian-1, included payloads for artificial intelligence processing and space debris monitoring.
The Orienspace Gravity-1 Y4 mission placed nine satellites into orbit from Eastern China. The CZ-3B rocket was used to launch Tianlian-2 06 from Sichuan. The CAS Space Lijian-1 Y15 agency delivered five satellites, including the first commercial space debris monitor and AI-based computing units.
The payloads demonstrate a clear trend toward the application of AI and task orientation. The CAS Space mission delivered Gande-1 01, which is the first commercial satellite for space debris observation, equipped with high-resolution and wide-field-of-view cameras. The Jitianxing A-04 satellite, developed jointly by Zhejiang Lab, Yunjian Information, MUSA GPU, and partners, uses a bore model for autonomous state management and independent mission planning, and is equipped with an intelligent MUSA GPU-based computing payload, an onboard router, and a laser communication terminal.
Furthermore, the Xiguang-2 03 satellite provides infrared sounding with three bands, while Yinglong Fengguang-1 carries meteorological microwave and infrared payloads.
During the Orienspace Gravity-1 mission, the Lilac-3 satellite was launched. This apparatus is described as China's first UFO-shaped satellite, featuring an ultra-thin, lightweight, and highly integrated design compared to traditional CubeSats. It serves as a test platform for the low-cost deployment of global university satellite constellations. The onboard high-performance star tracker functions as a celestial eye for controlling satellite orientation and is the primary source of data for space situational awareness. This mission marks the fourth flight of Gravity-1, continuing Orienspace's pace of rapid launches, while the reusable liquid-fueled rocket Gravity-2 is under development for the fourth quarter of 2026.
CAS Space Lijian-1 successfully launched 110 satellites across 15 flights with a total payload mass exceeding 16 tons, becoming the only commercial rocket in China to surpass the threshold of 100 launched satellites. Deputy Commander Meng Xiangfu emphasized that this achievement is not just a number but confirmation of product maturity and delivery capability. The rocket has fully passed technological verification and engineering research to reach the stage of mature serial production and frequency-normalized launch. The rocket has served over 30 clients, including six international customers.
Chief Designer Shi Xiaonin noted that the rocket has captured one hundred percent market share in China's external commercial market. Thanks to specialized, joint, and flexible models, as well as standardized interfaces, CAS Space guarantees launch windows, ensuring rare reliability. The achievement of mature rocket technology is gradually lowering barriers across the entire commercial aerospace industry chain.
