Open source, hybrid cloud and AI technologies from IBM and Red Hat will be part of EnduroSat’s second mission, which is scheduled to launch to low earth orbit at 2:25pm ET today from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
An earth observation and in-orbit edge computing payloads from IBM were integrated on EnduroSat’s software-defined NanoSat. These solutions use MicroShift, a minimal footprint distribution project of Red Hat OpenShift, which is optimized to work directly on edge devices to run containers in space.
EnduroSat, a provider of software-defined NanoSats and space services for business and academia, is working with IBM to provide developers and students around the globe with a fast and easy way to process space data even before getting it back to the ground.
Codenamed Endurance, IBM’s project uses its edge computing in space solution and is designed to help more people discover the wonders of space, using IBM and Red Hat hybrid cloud technologies.
In a hybrid cloud environment, student participants will be able to securely host, access and push code on IBM Cloud, which will connect to EnduroSat’s Digital Mission environment, then a ground station, and ultimately, the NanoSat. The code will be used to access data from various sensors, take pictures, perform calculations, and get the results back to earth.
Raycho Raychev, founder and CEO of EnduroSat, said: “We are thrilled to welcome IBM onboard our Shared Sat Missions. We are excited to see the rapid data services deployment and the innovations that our partners are unleashing in orbit. The collaboration between EnduroSat and IBM is a major step in bringing space closer to users on the ground.”
IBM’s goal for this mission is to help streamline the process for getting school-aged children access to the wonders of space using technology. As part of IBM’s ongoing skills-building initiatives, five teams of students who participate on IBM skilling programs have been selected to work with the IBM development and volunteer teams for this project.
Naeem Altaf, IBM distinguished engineer and CTO space tech, said: “This work to help democratize access to space will help further accelerate space exploration and innovation. IBM’s edge computing in space experiment will run containers in space and apply AI on the raw data being produced on the satellite. The actionable insights gained will be communicated back to IBM Cloud on earth, a hybrid solution extending from terrestrial networks to the far edge in space. We are ecstatic about our Endurance project, and to be ‘going to space’ in collaboration with EnduroSat. The sky is not the limit.”
