Engineering:Phi-Sat-2

From HandWiki
Short description: Earth observation satellite mission
ɸ-Sat-2 [1]
Namesɸ-Sat-2, Phi-Sat-2
Mission typeTechnological Demonstrator / Earth Observation
OperatorESA
WebsiteESA ɸ-Sat-2[1]
Spacecraft properties
Bus6U CubeSat
ManufacturerOpen Cosmos, CGI, Ubotica, Simera CH Innovative, CEiiA, GEO-K and KP Labs
Dimensionsapprox. 100 mm × 200 mm × 300 mm
(3.9 in × 7.9 in × 11.8 in)
Start of mission
Launch date16 months after contract negotiations[1]
Orbital parameters
RegimeLow Earth
InclinationSun-synchronous orbit (SSO)[1]
 

Phi-Sat-2 (also known as ɸ-Sat-2) is an Earth observation CubeSat mission from the European Space Agency (ESA) platform capable of running AI apps directly on board. What makes Phi-Sat-2 particularly noteworthy is its utilization of the NanoSat MO Framework, a modular and open-source platform designed for small satellite missions.[1]

The NanoSat MO Framework enhances the satellite's flexibility and adaptability, allowing for efficient integration of AI technologies into its operational workflow through Apps that can be installed on-board. The AI Apps will be able to do different activities such as transforming a satellite image to a street map, detecting clouds, detect and classify maritime vessels, and to perform image compression using AI.[1][2]

Mission Consortium

The ɸ-Sat-2 mission consortium is composed of the following companies:

  • Open Cosmos
  • CGI
  • Ubotica
  • Simera CH Innovative
  • CEiiA
  • GEO-K[3]
  • KP Labs[4]

Payload and Communications

The mission includes the following payload devices:

  • On-board Computer from Open Cosmos
  • Multi-spectral Optical Camera from Simera CH Innovative (expected 4.75 m ground resolution)
  • AI processor: Intel Movidius Myriad 2 from Ubotica[5][1]

The AI technology used in the mission is based on the Intel Movidius Myriad 2 vision processing unit, which is designed to provide high-performance, low-power processing for computer vision applications. The Myriad 2 is integrated into the spacecraft and is used to process and analyze the images captured by the hyperspectral camera in near real-time. The AI processor was already adopted on the previous Phi-Sat-1 mission.[5]

See also

References