Spanish Startup To Send AI Satellite To Space In 2025

THE satellite manufacturing company EMXYS is developing what it calls the “EdgeAISat” to quickly and efficiently detect and report events happening on the Earth below. The goal is to improve image processing through the utilisation of AI algorithms. 

The AI on board will sift through the massive amount of images taken by the satellite, sending only the most relevant atmospheric and planetary data back to Earth. This will present two advantages, EMXYS technology manager Francisco García de Quirós told El Español, as it will also reduce the time required to process the data collected at mission control back on Earth. 

As a result, EMXYS’ satellite will be able to detect meteorological, anthropological, or natural events happening on Earth near-instantaneously, long before a human analyst could. These events might include forest fires, volcanic activity, or illegal dumping, El Español reports. 

The EdgeAISat is an extension of EMXYS’s ODALISS project, a flexible satellite system meant to carry various technologies into orbit. The company focuses on developing “high performance electronic systems for space application,” according to its website. Its first space mission was back in 2007, when the company took part in the European Space Agency’s Young Engineers Satellite 2 experiment, which utilised advanced tether technology to de-orbit the spacecraft and return payloads to Earth. Since then, EMXYS has been involved in three additional space missions, with two more planned for 2024. 

The startup, located in Elche, is a collaboration between the Miguel Hernández University of Elche and the Polytechnic University of Valencia.