Amazon Web Services (AWS) has successfully deployed a range of its compute and machine learning (ML) software on a satellite in orbit.
The feat was achieved in collaboration with space logistics company D-Orbit and AI automation frim Unibap as part of a ten-month experiment.
Conducted in low Earth orbit (LEO), the project saw D-Orbit rapidly analysing large quantities of Earth Observation (EO) imagery data onboard its orbating ION satellite while using AWS software.
The experiment was designed to find and trial more efficient methods for customers to collect and analyse data from orbiting satellites with the cloud.
Sergio Mucciarelli, VP of commercial sales at D-Orbit, said: “Our customers want to securely process increasingly large amounts of satellite data with very low latency.
“This is something that is limited by using legacy methods, downlinking all data for processing on the ground. We believe in the drive towards edge computing, and that it can only be done with space-based infrastructure that is fit for purpose, giving customers a high degree of confidence that they can run their workloads and operations reliably in the harsh space operating environment.”
Max Peterson, VP of worldwide public sector at AWS, added: “Using AWS software to perform real-time data analysis onboard an orbiting satellite, and delivering that analysis directly to decision makers via the cloud, is a definite shift in existing approaches to space data management. It also helps push the boundaries of what we believe is possible for satellite operations.”
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