Late last year the European Space Agency selected 12 projects for funding to advance computing techniques and AI. Could the E.S.A also have been in the EAP?
PARIS (ESA PR) — 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 (AI) and advanced computing paradigms to make satellites...
newspaceglobal.com
ESA
launched the first artificially intelligent Earth observation satellite in September 2020. Named
ɸ-sat (pronounced phi-sat), the satellite carried an AI-accelerator chip that automatically discards cloudy images and send only useful data down to Earth.
The latest step came in October 2021, when the
Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities – working together with
Φ-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.
The selected ideas involve new technologies developed outside the space sector – including blockchain,
edge computing, and neuromorphic computing (inspired by the workings of the human brain),” says Gabriele. “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.”
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