Smarter satellites: ESA Discovery accelerates AI in space

Sat, 14 May 2022 06:51:05 GMT
Space Daily

Paris (ESA) May 13, 2022 Could we capitalise on the Earth-based digital revolution to make our...

Could we capitalise on the Earth-based digital revolution to make our satellites smarter? ESA Discovery is funding 12 projects that will explore the potential of applying the latest developments in artificial intelligence and advanced computing paradigms to make satellites more reactive, agile and autonomous.

In April 2021 ESA Discovery invited business and academic communities to propose innovative ideas to fly onboard ESA's OPS-SAT mission, which is open to the public to experiment with.

The latest step came in October 2021, when the Discovery element of ESA's Basic Activities - working together with F-lab and ESA's new commercialisation department - launched a call for ideas on how we can make space systems more powerful using novel computing techniques and AI. The most interesting ideas have now been selected for funding.

"Following the announcement of the call during F-week by ESA's Director General, industry and academia could propose projects addressing innovative technologies and applications," explains Gabriele Meoni, an ESA F-lab research fellow focusing on AI. "We received a really interesting suite of ideas, addressing a variety of space domains, showing that there is big interest from European stakeholders on cognitive computing in space."

Applying modern computing techniques - for example, processing data directly on board satellites - could transform space activities and the space economy in the coming decade.

The ability to make satellites smarter offers significant benefits for future space missions and business models.

Leopold Summerer, head of ESA's Advanced Concepts and Studies Office adds: "The call for ideas was driven by the vision of ESA Agenda 2025, which calls for Europe to step up its role in space, support commercialisation and help create new space markets."

"The ideas address amazing applications across the space domain including early detection of methane gas and natural disasters, autonomous rovers on the Moon, space surveillance and tracking - all because information could be processed more efficiently."

The 12 projects are being funded by ESA's Discovery element; each will run for six months with a budget of 100 000 EUR. All are financed using the ESA Initial Support for Innovation scheme, which focuses on knowledge and skill development rather than achieving specific results.

"What is the potential of new computing techniques in space? What are the new applications, or new science to be carried out? What would their business value be? These studies will help ESA further explore how cognitive computing could reshape the future of space missions," concludes Gabriele.