FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Pictures of China's first software-based satellite "Tianzhi-1"

China's first software-based satellite will be launched in the second half of the year, which will largely benefit the public as well as serve the national defense.

The satellite Tianzhi-1 is expected to be launched in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, as announced at the just concluded two-day 2018 Software-defined Satellite Summit in Beijing on Sunday.

Software-based satellite, which takes advantage of the internet's open source, can work in a way similar to the Android operating system to research and develop its software and hardware. Customers can use the platform to develop, test and debug software, according to an article released on the Chinese Academy of Sciences' (CAS) website.

The satellite Tianzhi-1 will be sent mainly to lay the foundation for a network and to test key technologies for the software-defined satellite system, said experts, adding that unlike traditional satellites, Tianzhi-1 could also be used in national defense.

The Tianzhi-1 project, mainly supported by Institute of Software under CAS, will also conduct in-orbit experimental verification.

Tianzhi-1 will carry a small cloud computing platform including four China's homemade smartphones which have strong calculation capability. The satellite is capable of providing images of space and Earth, experts said.