Intuition-1
Polish-built satellite demonstrating onboard data processing for Earth observation.
Intuition-1 is a satellite developed by the Polish private space firm KP-Labs and constructed by the Scottish firm AAC Clyde Space. It was launched into low Earth orbit by the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission. The satellite serves as a technological demonstration platform for KP Labs' computational units and algorithms.
Quick Facts
- Insignia caption
- Mission patch
- Operator
- KP Labs
- Manufacturer
- AAC Clyde Space
- Dry mass
- 12 kg / 26.5 lb
- Launched
- 11 November 2023, 18:57:00
- Launch rocket
- Falcon 9
- Launch site
- Vandenberg SCL-4
- Launch contractor
- SpaceX Transporter-9
Facts from the source article.
Development
KP Labs first revealed its Intuition-1 satellite project on April 23, 2019, with Clyde Space selected to build the spacecraft. The company had already begun writing the satellite's software in January 2018, and the launch was planned to occur before the end of 2023. This 6U CubeSat, a standard size for small satellites, weighed 12 kilograms and had dimensions of 10 by 20 by 30 centimeters. Its purpose was to serve as a technology demonstrator, testing KP Labs' own computational hardware and algorithms in orbit. Power came from a Starbuck-Nano unit rated for temperatures between -40 and 85 degrees Celsius, with a maximum battery voltage of 8.2 volts. Mission control is split among three elements: the KP Labs operations center and ground station, both located in Gliwice, plus additional ground stations elsewhere. The total cost of the mission was $1.2 million, with $650,000 covering the satellite's physical construction and the remainder allocated to launch and ongoing operations. The onboard camera was built following the European Space Agency's FutureEO guidelines, receiving partial ESA funding. Intuition-1 also participates in ESA's Project Genesis, run jointly with the Φ-lab, to advance techniques for analyzing soil health.
Mission
Intuition-1 lifted off on November 11, 2023, at 18:57:00 UTC as part of the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission. Another payload on that same flight was the EPICHyper-3 CubeSat from Clyde Space, which also carried a hyperspectral imaging system. The Intuition-1 satellite was equipped with a single instrument: a hyperspectral imager designed to capture Earth in visible light, near-infrared, and additional spectral bands. Its applications include agriculture, forestry, environmental monitoring, and climate research. The camera covers a swath 40 kilometers wide, delivers a spatial resolution of 25 meters per pixel, and operates across a spectral range of 470 to 900 nanometers. It can record up to 192 separate channels. Each raw image generates about 7 gigabytes of data. However, the satellite uses a KP Labs-developed processing unit called Leopard, which runs Oryx software onboard. On the ground, the Herd algorithm suite handles further analysis. This setup allows data to be processed directly on the satellite before transmission, shrinking each image file to roughly 70 megabytes. Daily, the satellite was expected to send about 100 gigabytes of data to Earth, but after onboard processing, that volume would drop to just 300 megabytes. This represented a major advance in how Earth observation satellites manage and transmit data, making the process far more efficient and streamlined. On April 21, 2024, Intuition-1 transmitted its first images of Earth, confirming that the system worked as intended. The mission successfully demonstrated that the Leopard unit and Oryx software could process data autonomously in orbit, with results then sent to the ground for further use by the Herd software. According to KP Labs, this capability has the potential to transform climate research and resource management by cutting the time needed to obtain satellite images and making those images more accessible to remote areas. Data and imagery from Intuition-1 have already been referenced in scientific papers examining how the satellite can assess agricultural conditions and soil properties in different regions.
More in Polish Inventions
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced