FUTURE Spacecraft

Technology demonstrator for optical navigation in LEO.

FUTURE will be a technology demonstrator for optical navigation in LEO. It will exploit features extracted from Earth, Moon images, and planetary triangulation to obtain knowledge on its own position. The results will be validated through GPS information, and may be used also for applications beyond Earth orbits.

Fully autonomous feaTUre Recognition planetary Explorer - is to make advancements in the autonomy of spacecraft in providing position knowledge, and reduce reliance on operators and ground support services and facilities. The nano satellite will be developed by Tyvak International, with the collaboration of AIKO, ALTEC and Politecnico di Milano.

The mission aims at flying a set of sensors on a single satellite in LEO, and use the data generated to feed different artificial intelligence algorithms to identify features on the Earth's surface and to elaborate position knowledge. The outcome of the project can be directed for future applications beyond LEO, such as in missions about planets and moons, so enhancing autonomous operation and navigation in the proximity of different celestial bodies. In LEO, the position knowledge precision will be validated against the GNSS time position information available to the spacecraft. The proposed mission is composed by a Tyvak 6U nanosatellite and leverages the extensive background of the consortium in on-board image processing, artificial intelligence and navigation.