The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has pledged $7 million for the development of autonomous AI spacecraft. The three-year project, known as SCARLET-a (Spacecraft Autonomy and Onboard AI for Next Generation Space Systems), will bring together eight partners including Airbus, Asension, Deakin University, Defence Science and Technology Group, Leonardo Australia, Saab Australia, Swinburne University of Technology, and the University of South Australia (UniSA) in a collaborative research effort.
The goal of SCARLET-a is to create a set of autonomous algorithms that will enable small and distributed spacecraft to make decisions independently, optimize the use of available resources and capabilities, adapt to changing conditions, and handle critical situations without intervention from Earth. The project will focus on high-impact areas of spacecraft autonomy and onboard AI as identified and prioritized with industry and defense partners.
One of the key areas of focus is onboard processing and actionable intelligence. Currently, onboard processing is limited to data collection, but researchers hope that the algorithms developed through SCARLET-a will allow spacecraft to perform many tasks with less intervention from human operators. This advancement in autonomous technologies has the potential to transform major sectors of the economy such as agriculture, farming, and mining, as well as better serve defense and national security objectives.
The funding for this project is made possible through the support of the Federal Government CRC Program Australia. The SmartSat CRC Chair of Artificial Intelligence, UniSA STEM Professor Ryszard Kowalczyk, who is leading the project, believes that spacecraft autonomy will be a key feature of the next generation space systems. By enabling spacecraft to operate independently of ground contact, they will be able to respond to unexpected events in real time without needing commands from Earth. This autonomy will improve Australia’s remote sensing capabilities and other vital services undertaken in space.
SCARLET-a is part of the SCARLET lab (laboratory), which is a SmartSat initiative to develop innovative technologies across spacecraft autonomy, onboard AI, and data analytics. The lab provides a collaborative platform for researchers and industry to advance autonomy and produce tangible outcomes for defense and civil pursuits, enabling Australia’s next space missions.
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