Redwire has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tokyo-based startup SpaceData to collaborate on artificial intelligence and digital engineering technologies for space-based programs.
The partnership will focus on integrating SpaceData’s technologies into Redwire’s digital ecosystem for activities supporting the International Space Station. The companies will also explore combined solutions for NASA’s commercial low Earth orbit destinations and missions to the moon and deep space.
Critical Space Infrastructure
Shawn Buckley, senior vice president of civil and international space at Redwire, said the company is excited to collaborate with SpaceData to enhance its digital engineering tools. “AI and digital engineering will lead the way in efficiently developing critical space infrastructure and next-generation platforms, and we are proud to align with partners who share that same vision,” he added.
SpaceData is known for its digital twin solutions, such as the ISS Simulator and Lunar Digital Twin, which allow mission planners to replicate and test hardware behavior in realistic virtual environments. The company is also developing operating systems for space stations and robotics. Its vision is to “democratize” space and make it as accessible as the internet.
Satellite Design and Digital Twinning
The partnership follows a contract awarded to Redwire’s Belgian subsidiary Space NV by the European Space Agency’s LightShip program to design small satellite buses for future expeditions to Mars.
Meanwhile, SpaceData recently partnered with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to create a digital twin of the ISS’s Kibo module, allowing environmental simulations of airflow, temperature and illumination for commercial space users.
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