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Small satellite SONATE-2: AI discovers anomalies in space and on Earth!
The University of Würzburg has successfully demonstrated autonomous AI use in space with the small satellite SONATE-2.
Small satellite SONATE-2: AI discovers anomalies in space and on Earth!
On March 4, 2024, the small satellite SONATE-2, developed by the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, was successfully launched into orbit. Led by Hakan Kayal, Professor of Space Engineering, the project took three years to develop. The satellite, which is the size of a shoebox (30x20x10 cm), was launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Shortly after the ejection over Madagascar, the first contact was made with him.
The mission of SONATE-2 aims to demonstrate the autonomous training of an AI on board. This AI was designed with the purpose of detecting anomalies on the earth's surface and taking photographs on them. This is intended to increase the autonomy of small satellites, allowing them to be used more efficiently in future missions. Prof. Kayal, who also heads the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Extraterrestrials (IFEX), hopes for significant progress in the identification of previously unknown anomalies.
Objectives and achievements of the mission
The mission of SONATE-2 was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. After a year in space, the satellite was able to achieve all mission objectives. During this time, the satellite took 270 photos in the Sahara, which were stored in two datasets, one with 90 images and one with 180 images. Two AI models have been developed to detect these anomalies, including the Nile and adjacent green regions.
Prof. Kayal emphasizes that AI technologies can provide a significant advantage in recognizing new structures. By feeding the AI with known data, it can learn to classify and identify unknown objects. A possible future use of this AI technology could also be in interplanetary missions, where communication with Earth is difficult and autonomous decision-making is required.
Current status and future prospects
SONATE-2 is currently fully functional and operating on a reduced scale. The satellite is available for the practical training of aerospace IT students, supported by the student association WüSpace. Theoretically, further experiments are possible through software uploads, but only for a limited time.
Although SONATE-2 continues to operate, it is steadily losing altitude and is expected to remain operational for another year and a half before entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up. This mission, which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics, also offers a valuable learning experience for new generations of scientists and engineers. The results of the mission have already been published by the German Aerospace Society, which underlines the scientific relevance of the project.
Overall, the development of SONATE-2 shows how important the use of AI technologies in space travel is. The satellite could lay the foundation for future interplanetary missions, where autonomous anomaly detection capability will be crucial.