In a major breakthrough for space innovation, NASA and Airbus have both integrated cutting-edge technology from Irish firms Ubotica and Innalabs, marking a milestone in intelligent space systems and satellite precision.
🚀 CO3D Satellite Launch: Airbus & CNES Collaborate on Global Imaging
On July 25, Arianespace’s Vega-C rocket is scheduled to launch the latest CO3D satellite constellation from French Guiana, a collaborative mission between Airbus and the French Space Agency (CNES). These four high-tech satellites, designed for dual-use operations, will deliver high-resolution Digital Surface Models (DSM) on a global scale.
Each satellite is built to support eight years of service, flying in pairs on opposite sides of Earth to ensure continuous imaging coverage. The goal is to enhance Airbus’ optical and radar imaging capabilities across multiple sectors, including defense, infrastructure, and environmental monitoring.
🛰️ Irish Innovation in Space: Innalabs’ Navigation System
A key feature onboard the CO3D satellites is a navigation system from Dublin-based Innalabs, known as the ARIETIS-NS. This radiation-hardened inertial navigation unit offers:
- High-precision tracking
- Ultra-low noise operation
- Compact design with low power consumption
These characteristics are crucial for maintaining satellite attitude control and mission reliability in Earth orbit.
“This mission marks a proud achievement for Irish engineering in the global space industry,” said John O’Leary, CEO of Innalabs.
The same startup previously contributed to ESA’s Hera mission for planetary defense, and more recently secured a contract for ESA’s Ramses mission focused on Earth defense technology.
🤖 NASA Tests AI Payload from Ubotica for Smarter Earth Observation
Meanwhile, in a separate test, NASA successfully trialed a groundbreaking AI system onboard a satellite, using a payload built by Irish firm Ubotica Technologies. The AI system runs on Space:AI, a commercial space-grade processor developed for autonomous decision-making in orbit.
The test was conducted on the CogniSAT-6 CubeSat, created and operated by Open Cosmos. For the first time, a satellite used artificial intelligence to analyze, predict, and decide where to look next — all in under 90 seconds and without any human input.
This capability, called Dynamic Targeting, allows spacecraft to:
- Avoid cloud-covered areas
- Focus on specific, short-lived events like wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and severe storms
- Save bandwidth and storage by only capturing valuable imagery
“We want spacecraft to think like humans — to not just see data, but understand it and react,” said Steve Chien, AI Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
This marks a shift from bulk image collection to intelligent image selection, explained Ubotica CEO Fintan Buckley. With better filtering, researchers receive more usable data, cutting down unnecessary downloads of cloud-covered or irrelevant shots.🌩️ What’s Next? Hunting Storms & Heat Anomalies
With the cloud-avoidance test now complete, NASA and Ubotica’s next focus includes:
- Detecting extreme weather in real time
- Monitoring thermal anomalies like active wildfires or eruptions
A paper on Dynamic Targeting was presented last year at the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation for Space in Brisbane, Australia.📊 Key Technologies Featured
| Technology | Organization | Function |
|---|---|---|
| ARIETIS-NS | Innalabs (Ireland) | Inertial navigation for satellites |
| Space:AI Payload | Ubotica (Ireland) | Real-time AI processing onboard satellites |
| Dynamic Targeting | NASA & Ubotica | Intelligent image capture in orbit |
| CO3D Satellites | Airbus + CNES | Global digital surface mapping |
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