Hyderabad-based start-up to launch India's 1st AI lab in space
Hyderabad-based space technology start-up TakeMe2Space is gearing up to launch India's first artificial intelligence (AI) lab in space. The project, dubbed 'Modular Orbital Infrastructure - Technology Demonstrator' (MOI-TD), will be launched on ISRO's PSLV C60 mission in mid-December. It is an innovative initiative that could revolutionize space research by allowing real-time data processing in orbit.
AI lab to enhance data processing efficiency
The MOI-TD aims to solve the inefficiencies associated with existing space data processing techniques. Satellites produce petabytes of data every day, with as much as 40% being unusable (due to cloud cover, etc). This data is sent back to Earth for processing. But, with MOI-TD, it will be processed in space itself and relevant insights delivered, cutting down cost and latency of transmission by a lot.
User access and applications of the AI lab
Users will be able to access the satellite platform via OrbitLab, a web-based console. From here, they can upload AI models for applications ranging from environmental monitoring and deforestation tracking to greenhouse gas emission detection, maritime activity observation, and custom Earth observation use cases. The satellite-as-a-service platform has already bagged its first research partners - a Malaysian university and a group of 9th and 10th graders from an Indian school.
A step toward building data centers in space
The launch of MOI-TD is viewed as a major step toward creating data centers in space. Although the current mission is geared toward Earth observation applications, the technology could easily support a variety of applications, just like existing cloud computing services. All testing and evaluation of the MOI-TD platform were done by IN-SPACe Technical Center, a government agency regulating private sector space activities.
