Aethero wants to launch a satellite that does its computing in orbit, not on the ground

FCC IBFS · SAT-LOA-20240311-00052 · License application · 2024-03-11

Most satellites collect data and beam it down to be processed on the ground. Aethero wants to do the work in orbit. Its March 11, 2024 FCC license application covers a 1.5U CubeSat called Deimos, carrying electro-optical sensors and what the filing calls "the most powerful onboard edge computer launched into space by a commercial operator," the NXN Edge Computing Module, rated at 100 trillion operations per second against a current standard of about 5 trillion. The mission, the filing says, would "demonstrate how on-orbit edge computing can facilitate the efficient processing of electro-optical data," producing insights onboard for tasks like mapping and resource exploration.

The reason to bother, Aethero says, is bandwidth: doing the processing in orbit slashes how much raw data Deimos has to send home.

"allows earth observation systems to reduce downlink needs by over 100x"

— Aethero, FCC license application

Sources: FCC IBFS application → · Orbit Sentinel

Filed underOrbital DatacenterIn Space ComputingEdge ComputingAetheroFCC

Questions & answers

What is Aethero applying to do?
To license a 1.5U CubeSat called Deimos that carries electro-optical sensors and an onboard processor, the NXN Edge Computing Module, to certify and demonstrate high-performance on-orbit edge computing.
What would the Deimos mission demonstrate?
How on-orbit edge computing can facilitate the efficient processing of electro-optical data onboard, producing insights for tasks like mapping and resource exploration.
What kind of FCC filing is this?
A satellite license application, filed March 11, 2024 by Aethero Space Inc.