Hogan Lovells 2024-2025 AI Trends Guide - Flipbook - Page 42
Managing U.S. legal risks - AI applications and new technologies in the
space and satellite industry
Space – A natural field of use for AI
A substantial number of AI applications are being deployed
in the space and satellite industry. This is a natural field to
use AI, given the very limited current ability to maintain
human presence in space and the need for autonomous
operations, as well as the space domain being a source
of extensive raw data. Many terrestrial AI applications
required AI to manage matters that humans cannot address
effectively. In space, many of the operations that are in
need of automation are done without any direct human
presence or even human involvement.
Data sensed from space (from visual to radar-based) is a
seemingly endless source of new data, and machine learning
algorithms are being used to process satellite imagery,
detecting and classifying Earth’s features for geographical
information systems, classifying various land cover types
in imagery, crop monitoring and predicting, wildlife
conservation, disaster response, and in connection with many
other use cases.
• Space robotics, particularly for In-Space Servicing,
Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM)
As with terrestrial AI, the technical challenges to creating
and deploying space-based AI are considerable. However,
every year more progress is made at being able to control
space activities both from the ground and in space itself, at
collecting data in space that cannot be obtained from the
ground and in furthering space exploration. Having privatelyowned, manned stations in space seems within reach, and
productive trips to Mars or even asteroids could well happen
in the next decade
• Avoiding collisions and monitoring of space debris
Read more of our analysis here.
Exciting new applications are occurring in numerous areas,
including:
• Satellites connecting in space (rendezvous, proximity
operations, and docking, or RPOD)
• Space exploration including moon and Mars rovers
• Many analytics applications, as huge amounts of data are
being gathered from space
Additional
resources
Spotlight
Space and Satellite Insights
Authors
Steve Kaufman
Partner
Washington, D.C.
Alexis Sainz
Partner
Washington, D.C.
Randy Segal
Partner
Northern Virginia,
Silicon Valley, &
Washington, D.C.
