Automation Opportunities in the Space Industry

Automation Opportunities in the Space Industry

Adoption of Industry 4.0 Technologies to Play a Key Role in the Rapidly Evolving NewSpace Economy

NewSpace is the emergence of the private space industry. Space is no longer the sole domain of government space agencies and large aerospace and defense companies. The space industry is undergoing several important transformations enabled by technology advancements and increased investments. Robotics, AI, ML, and additive manufacturing/ 3D printing play essential roles in launch vehicles, on-orbit servicing and assembly, exploration, satellite systems, and geo-intelligence/Earth observation. These automation technologies help with manufacturing and operations of the different sectors of the space ecosystem.

High efficiency and cost reduction, improved/advanced design, reusability, accelerated time to market, actionable insights, and optimization enabled by automation make space easily accessible to everyone and allow successful missions. Among the different sectors, current satellite systems present the biggest wave of opportunities for automation.