Craft Prospect was one of the companies that presented at the Unibap Side Meeting at the Small Sat Conference held at Utah University. It is one of the most interesting companies in the growing Scottish space industry, and have a focus on artificial intelligence, quantum communications payloads and satellite mission architecture.

Murray Ireland, Head of Autonomous Systems, at Craft Prospect tell us more about the company.

-Craft Prospect was established in 2017, born from the Scottish space industry with the aim of developing cutting-edge space technology. Now we’re a close-knit team of 29 professionals with a focus on AI applications that can function autonomously, with a special focus on in-orbit processing. We are exploring how we can optimize space missions using AI, one example being utilizing AI for onboard data filtering and processing.

Can you elaborate on your cooperation with Unibap?

-Our collaboration with Unibap began about three years ago, partly due to personal connections. Unibap showed interest in our AI work, including cloud masking and other applications. It’s been a mutually beneficial relationship; we’ve delivered some applications to them, and in turn, we’ve integrated some of their hardware into our tests.

What kind of hardware have you been working with from Unibap?

–We’ve acquired a couple of units from Unibap. One was integrated into our simulator to add a hardware dimension, and the iX5 ODE-kit has been crucial for developing applications for Unibap and their customers. The user-friendly horsepower of Unibap’s computers has been invaluable.

What does the future hold for this partnership?

-We’re eager to deepen our collaboration with Unibap and look forward to demonstrating our capabilities in orbit. Gaining flight heritage is a priority, and Unibap is an ideal partner for this endeavour. We hope to be involved in providing data processing software for their hardware solutions.

Murray also share some insights of the different backgrounds of Unibap and Craft Prospect.

-It’s been enlightening to witness a different approach to space technology. At Craft Prospect we are coming from a systems engineering background, seeing Unibap’s more open and creative approach, akin to setting up an framework similar to an app store, has been fascinating. It’s an interesting model that feeds into a more dynamic and innovative mindset.

Can you finally share your perspective on the Scottish space industry?

-The UK and Scottish governments have identified the space industry as a significant sector. It began with conventional space companies, but it has evolved to include a diverse array of entities focusing on quantum technology, AI, blockchain, and more. There’s a vibrant scene with lots of innovation.

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