Bengaluru-Based SkyServe Partners with NASA and D-Orbit for Earth Observation

Bengaluru-based space tech company SkyServe announced that it is working with scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and D-Orbit, a space logistics company, to advance Earth observation systems. 

The partnership involves optimising and deploying AI models developed under NASA’s New Observations Strategies (NOS) initiative on D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier. 

This initiative aims to create a unified network of space-borne, terrestrial, and airborne sensors for near-real-time monitoring phenomena like wildfires, floods, and urban heat islands. The company ultimately aims to support both scientific research and disaster response efforts.

The collaboration also involves harnessing edge computing to integrate and optimise AI models across diverse sensor configurations. 

SkyServe’s STORM, an edge-computing platform for satellites, enables the deploying of advanced AI applications in orbit. Complementing STORM, the SURGE software suite provides an on-ground environment to test, develop, and deploy AI models. 

Vishesh Vatsal, CTO at SkyServe, noted, “SkyServe’s technology plays a pivotal role in streamlining AI model deployment across diverse satellite platforms, ensuring consistency and efficiency.” 

D-Orbit’s ION satellite platform supports these efforts with a robust infrastructure. The partnership also highlights the integration of Edge AI solutions with satellite platforms to address Earth observation challenges. 

The collaboration aims to enhance emergency response times and accelerate decision-making by enabling a wide range of use cases, such as detecting wildfires and tracking unregistered ships. 

By simulating space-embedded environments, SURGE ensures AI models maintain operational consistency across varied satellite platforms and computing environments. 

This collaboration is part of broader efforts to redefine the possibilities of space innovation and drive advancements in global monitoring.

In May last year, SkyServe also announced that it had successfully achieved Smart Earth Imaging in orbit, marking an important step forward in Earth observation. It demonstrated the ability to generate actionable insights from space in a fraction of the time.

A month before, it had also collaborated with D-Orbit to deploy STORM on a SpaceX-launched satellite. Within seconds of capturing imagery over the Egypt-Sinai Peninsula, STORM performed intelligent tasks onboard. 

These included error correction, cloud/water removal, and vegetation identification. The optimised data was then transmitted back to Earth compressed by 5X.