On 11 September, the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) released in-orbit footage on its official WeChat Channels account "Deep Space Singularity" (Shenkong Qidian). The footage shows "Youxi", the world's first integrated space-ground interactive satellite dedicated to cultural communication, crossing the Pacific, with its onboard screen playing footage from the First National Deep Space Cultural and Creative Works Promotional Event and its selfie cameras returning the screen and the curve of the Earth in one frame. Scenes from the awards ceremony held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in June are visible on screen. The Hong Kong Science Popularization and Science Fiction Academy (HKSPSF), one of the event's supporting organisations, continues to follow the outcomes of the event.
Hong Kong Scenes on the Orbital Screen
In the roughly two-minute clip, the satellite's two 4K HD screens cycle through promotional footage and scenes from the event: the DSEL logo and the event title "Dreaming of Deep Space, Sharing the Future"; DSEL Deputy Director Mr Yu Jike delivering his address at the awards ceremony; the presentation of the Grand Prize; expert lectures and group photos. Beyond the screen, the Earth's curve and cloud formations drift past as the satellite flies. The account's caption reads: "Our video is in space" and "A real space livestream".
The "Youxi" Satellite and a Shared Screen between Space and Earth
The "Youxi" satellite lifted off at 12:33 on 15 May 2026 from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone, carried by a Lijian-1 Y13 carrier rocket in a mission that sent five satellites into their planned orbits. It is equipped with two 4K HD displays, five multi-angle selfie cameras and an intelligent data processing payload, and is designed to operate in orbit for about five years. Under its "shared screen between space and Earth, two-way interaction" model, content is uploaded from the ground for playback on the orbital screen, while the selfie cameras return images of the screen against the Earth's curve; interactive content from overseas social media platforms may also be selected for display on screen. The satellite was initiated by the Centre for International Cultural Communication (CICG) together with the News and Publicity Centre of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and developed by Shanghai Jicao Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Xuntian Qianhe Space Technology Co., Ltd.
Also showing on board is "Chinese Writers' Space Confession", a literary video produced by the China Writers Association.
From the PolyU Awards Stage to Orbit
Co-organised by DSEL and PolyU, the First National Deep Space Cultural and Creative Works Promotional Event was themed "Dreaming of Deep Space, Sharing the Future". The call for entries opened in February 2026 (see our earlier announcement), and the awards ceremony, expert lectures and the "Chasing the Skies" thematic exhibition were held on the PolyU campus on 16 June (see our event recap). The event received more than 600 submissions, of which around 100 came from Hong Kong and Macao, with the Grand Prize going to "Pugong: A Vision for Future Interstellar Exploration" by a student team from Tsinghua University. The call for entries stated that outstanding works may be selected for CICG's "shared screen between space and Earth" satellite programme.
The in-orbit playback and transmission bring the event's images into space, fulfilling the vision set out in the call for entries. HKSPSF will continue to work with DSEL, PolyU and partners across sectors to promote deep space exploration and cultural creativity in Hong Kong and Macao.
Image and video: "Deep Space Singularity", the official WeChat Channels account of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (11 September 2026)