I have no use for this right now but will totally file it away in the back of my head for later. My first question would be: If I want to run code on one of your satellites, do I have to place an order for a server to be added to the payload of a future launch vehicle, or do you just launch satellites with servers running on them and then rent out compute/instrument time on a per hour basis?
This is ridiculous and I love it. Do your satellites have cameras that can be interfaced with as well? Could I have a satellite monitoring a specific area 24/7?
Understandable - could I instead strategically rent time slots for when the satellite passes over a certain location? That's not 24/7, but once a day for basic data science is certainly enough.
I'm actually a bit sorry to derail the grandparent (totally fine !) sales process :) but if what you want is daily imagery of a specific place for data science purpose, check out Planet Labs, they do just that !
- space-qualification for the satellite control software. You need to test your own flight software in space, so you use our satellite platform to run test/validation and then reuse on your own satellite.
- space-based algorithm tests, such as data compression/error correction or radiation hardening through software means. Inter-satellite link protocols is also a rich field for software developers.
- data analysis: satellite instruments can produce a lot more data than can be downlinked, so it is in your best interest to pre-process it as much as possible on-board instead of downloading just raw data
- Autonomy algorithms tests: for example for automatic collision avoidance software or maneuvres around non-cooperating target (think defunct satellite or asteroid)
- Data fusion: combine data from multiple satellite instruments, such AIS receiver and imagery to filter maritime traffic for ships without AIS transponders on, then classify those
- Remote asset tracking and labeling (think pipelines, agriculture, shipping containers, farming plots) where you don't have "eyes on the ground". Needs some image recognition tools to identify changes and/or damage.
All of the above can be packed as an "app" and run concurrently or in series on one or multiple satellites, with the possibility of reusing the code for different satellite platforms.
An interesting case is making a single "virtual satellite" out of multiple physical ones, with a single app using instruments from different satellites.
If you guys make an “I put my code in orbit” badge (virtual and/or physical) I will wear it...! That’s another use case - vanity! I’m not being sarcastic, I’d love this.
Great question and answers here, fascinating to consider potential use cases. Have you thought about adapting this copy for your website so more people can see the potential when they arrive there?
Right now we have no satellites of our own, but later in 2020 we will get a limited level of access to one satellite from ESA. Come 2021, we will get our own satellite in orbit.
Will you be able to 'geofence' your code? Yes, absolutely!
Ah no, cubesats use a different definition of "1U" which is a 10x10x10 cm cube (1L volume). So a 3U satelitte will be 30x10x10 cm box with a 3L volume and mass around 4-5kg