| Mission type | Earth observation, Technology demonstration |
|---|---|
| Operator | Ubotica Technologies |
| Website | 1 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Open Cosmos |
| Launch mass | <20 kg |
| Dimensions | 6U CubeSat (approx. 10x20x30 cm) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | April 1, 2023 |
| Rocket | SpaceX Falcon 9, Transporter-7 mission |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit (LEO) |
| Inclination | Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) |
CogniSAT-6 is a pioneering Earth observation satellite that marks a significant advancement in the field of space-based artificial intelligence (AI). Developed by Irish company Ubotica Technologies in collaboration with Open Cosmos, CogniSAT-6 is designed to provide "Live Earth Intelligence" by combining on-board AI processing with real-time satellite communication. This capability enables immediate analysis and action across various industries, including maritime monitoring, emergency response, and environmental management.
CogniSAT-6, a joint mission by Ubotica Technologies and Open Cosmos, is the first mission specifically designed around a new operational paradigm of autonomous and collaborative robotic remote sensing systems that leverage onboard intelligence to interact dynamically with their environment.[1] The spacecraft is a 6U CubeSat launched into a Sun Synchronous Orbit at around 500 km altitude on March 2, 2024, on SpaceX’s Transporter 10.
It carries a Simera Sense HyperScape100 hyperspectral imager and an Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) communication payload. In addition, the spacecraft carries the CogniSAT-XE2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer vision edge computing processor. This processing board allows the system to perform inference using neural networks on board the spacecraft as well as complex computer vision tasks.
CogniSAT-6 is also notable for its participation in the NASA New Observing Strategies (NOS) program, which aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using AI for onboard science analysis and autonomous retargeting of Earth observation satellites. As described in "Demonstrating Onboard Inference for Earth Science Applications with Spectral Algorithms and Deep Learning," CogniSAT-6 will contribute to NOS by testing the performance of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for detecting and classifying scientific events such as volcanic eruptions, floods, and algal blooms.[2] This collaboration with NASA highlights the potential of CogniSAT-6 to advance scientific discovery and improve our understanding of Earth's dynamic systems.