Nichols Martin
Amazon Web Services has selected 10 startup companies from the U.S. and Europe to study and develop space-based cloud technologies that have the potential to be applied to spacecraft launch and delivery, electronics and robotics, spacecraft hardware and software as well as earth observation efforts.
The companies will receive up to $100,000 each in AWS Activate credit and four weeks of training with advanced cloud computing technologies through the AWS Space Accelerator, Werner Vogels, chief technology officer at Amazon, wrote in a blog post published Thursday.
The program aims to address a range of environmental and economic problems faced by humans. Vogels said the data gathered through small satellites could potentially support climate studies, wildlife preservation, agricultural yields and water security.
To provide an example, Vogels cited how Fireball International uses services from the company to detect wildfires within three minutes of the incident’s start. The said work requires Fireball to process 2.5 million images per day on AWS’ platform.
“Commercial satellite operators are adopting technologies like machine learning that help automate enrichment and analysis of vast amounts of data,” he said.
AWS selected the 10 startups from a pool of 190 proposals. The awardees are:
- Cognitive Space
- D-Orbit
- Descartes Labs
- Edgybees
- Hawkeye 360
- LeoLabs
- Lunar Outpost
- Orbital Sidekick
- Satellite VU
- Ursa Space
If you’re interested in the government’s space acquisition goals then check out GovCon Wire’s Space Acquisition Forum coming up on Sept. 14. Click here to learn more.
