C3S and AImotive will create a prototype hardware platform to execute AI onboard satellites. Credit: AImotive.

Hungarian space technology and satellite provider C3S is to partner with automotive supplier AImotive to use automotive technologies in commercial space applications.

C3S and AImotive will jointly create a prototype hardware platform to execute artificial intelligence (AI) onboard satellites by the second quarter of next year.

C3S will enable high performance AI capabilities in small, power-constrained satellites by adapting the aiWare NN hardware acceleration technology from AImotive in its space electronics platform.

The results of this partnership are expected to accelerate the commercialisation of a range of services such as telecommunications, Earth and space observation, autonomous satellite operation, docking support and asteroid mining for specialised and mass-market applications.

C3S CEO Gyula Horváth said: “AImotive’s vast experience in deploying AI in highly constrained embedded environments is why C3S chose to adapt its aiWare NN acceleration platform for use in space.

“The strong experience C3S holds in working with both cubic and large-scale satellites is an enormous advantage for this process and we are excited to be joining forces with AImotive to make sure our space electronics platform will be the most robust on the market.”

C3S specialises in large satellite solutions developments, in addition to 3-16U nanosatellite platforms that support In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD), Earth observation, space weather forecast, and IoT missions.

The company also provides a turnkey solution for nanosat missions that encompass the complete lifecycle from mission planning to deorbiting.

AImotive founder and CEO László Kishonti said: “It is a very exciting time for the AImotive team to be involved in the introduction of such an innovative terrestrial technology to the space industry.

“The solution will include extensions of our low-power aiWare hardware NN acceleration architectures specifically designed to withstand the demanding habitat of space, including heat fluctuations and cosmic radiation.”