KAI, 스페이스린텍과 손잡고 자율위성운용 AI 큐브샛 테스트 - Korea IT Times

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Space Lintech to collaborate on an AI-based CubeSat demonstration project, aiming to advance autonomous satellite operations. The agreement was signed on March 20 at KAI’s Daejeon Research Center, with key executives including Seo Hyun-seok, head of KAI’s Satellite Research Division, and Yoon Hak-soon, CEO of Space Lintech, in attendance. At the core of the collaboration is the integration of KAI’s in-house developed high-performance AI module into a CubeSat platform jointly developed by Space Lintech and Yonsei University. The project aims to verify whether AI can autonomously diagnose anomalies and respond to potential failures in orbit. Based on the agreement, the two companies plan to launch a CubeSat equipped with the AI module into space in the second half of this year to conduct a full-scale demonstration. The project will focus on validating AI onboard processing, in which the AI module independently analyzes collected data and determines optimal solutions without instructions from the satellite’s onboard computer (OBC). The AI onboard processing will be tested in three stages. First, a simulated fault signal will be transmitted from a ground station to the satellite. The AI module will then detect the signal and predict possible causes and scope of the failure. Finally, it will generate a technical report outlining optimal countermeasures and transmit it back to the ground station. This process is considered a critical step toward the development of fully autonomous satellites capable of self-protection without ground intervention. Currently, most satellites rely on ground stations for fault analysis and response. With the adoption of AI modules, satellites are expected to achieve faster decision-making and reduced communication costs through real-time, self-directed operations. KAI developed the AI module by leveraging its expertise as a satellite system integrator, combined with fault prediction and predictive maintenance technologies refined through aircraft development. The module incorporates a neural processing unit (NPU) from domestic startup Mobilint, contributing to efforts to strengthen semiconductor self-reliance in the defense sector. Seo Hyun-seok, Executive Vice President at KAI, said, “We have advanced our technology to the point where satellites can independently assess situations and provide detailed reports to ground stations using AI. Through this collaboration with Space Lintech, the validated AI module is expected to become a core standard across various satellite systems we develop.” A Space Lintech official added, “KAI’s advanced AI diagnostic technology will play a crucial role in ensuring the stable operation of space bio-experiment satellites.” With over 30 years of experience in national satellite programs, KAI has played a leading role in Korea’s space industry, including overseeing next-generation mid-sized satellite development. As autonomous and constellation-based small satellites enter mass production in the future, KAI’s AI module is expected to become a key technology for enhancing satellite autonomy and operational efficiency.