WASHINGTON — Anduril Industries, a defense technology firm known for its use of artificial intelligence in weapons systems, is now setting its sights on the space domain. Fresh off the introduction of next-generation drones and autonomous cruise missiles for the U.S. Air Force, the company announced plans to design, build, and launch its own fully integrated space systems by the end of 2025.
“We are expanding our advanced, AI-powered hardware and software capabilities into the final frontier: space,” Gokul Subramanian, Anduril’s senior vice president of space engineering, said Sept. 13 in a news release. The company intends to develop spacecraft for applications like space domain awareness, on-orbit sensor data processing, and satellite defense.
Plans to test payloadsThe space mission planned for 2025, according to Subramanian, will act as a testbed for Anduril and third-party payloads, with further details to be revealed in the coming months.
Anduril’s expansion into space builds on the company’s broader strategy of developing autonomous systems that require minimal human intervention. The company developed a “Collaborative Combat Aircraft,” an autonomous system designed to operate alongside U.S. Air Force piloted aircraft. And it recently announced plans to mass-produce air-breathing, autonomous cruise missiles using commercially available components.
Central to Anduril’s technology is its Lattice software, which integrates various sensors and systems for real-time decision-making. Subramanian said Lattice will be used “to autonomously monitor and manage space-based assets, improving situational awareness and reducing operator workload.”
Computer vision techThe software’s computer vision technology, which processes and interprets visual data from cameras and other imaging systems, allows for real-time object identification and classification, the company said. This technology, crucial for autonomous decision-making in drone operations, could be applied to satellites in orbit so operators on the ground can respond to threats faster.
Anduril’s expansion into space builds upon its previous work with the Space Surveillance Network (SSN), operated by the U.S. Space Force. The company has won contracts to leverage its Lattice platform to manage data from this global network of sensors, which is designed to detect and identify objects in orbit. The company said the integration of Lattice with the SSN has transformed the legacy communication system into a modern mesh network, providing a more comprehensive operational picture of the space environment.