China’s Tiantuo satellite breakthrough enables global cargo surveillance: PLA scientists

Technology to track hundreds of millions of shipping containers has been developed by Chinese military scientists

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Scientists have developed technology to use China’s Tiantuo satellite plus other nanosatellites to track global shipping containers. Photo: CCTV

Published: 12:00pm, 1 Mar 2025Updated: 7:46pm, 1 Mar 2025

Satellite technology that can track hundreds of millions of shipping containers around the world has been successfully tested by Chinese military scientists, in a huge leap forward in monitoring global supply chains.

Developed by researchers with the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Changsha, the technology centres on the Tiantuo-5 satellite – a compact, 80kg (175lb) orbiter launched in 2020.

Recent trials have proved that China can gather real-time data from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors on cargo containers, including their location, internal conditions and even tamper alerts, according to a paper published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed Journal of NUDT.

The breakthrough will help Beijing enforce export controls – just as China tightens restrictions on exports of advanced technologies, such as aerospace engine and military drone components, to the United States and its allies.

The researchers said the satellite network could become a cornerstone of Beijing’s strategy to curb smuggling – for example shipments of restricted goods through third countries – while amassing unprecedented visibility into global trade flows.

“This isn’t just about catching smugglers,” said a Beijing-based logistics expert who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

“It’s about building a system to enforce our own rules – and break the chains that have been imposed on developing countries for over a century – with a technology revolution in space,” he said. He noted that Tiantuo means “breaking new ground with the power of heaven”.