KP Labs

Founded in 2016, KP Labs is a Polish company operating in the New Space sector, aiming to accelerate space exploration through the development of autonomous mission operations and robotic technologies. The company provides comprehensive solutions that include a fully integrated package of hardware, modular onboard software, and AI-powered algorithms for onboard satellite data processing. These technologies form the foundation of the Smart Mission Ecosystem, designed to enhance satellite autonomy and performance.

The company holds the official status of a Research and Development Center, granted by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education. KP Labs has successfully completed over 35 projects funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency, Polish national funds, and private companies. The team is actively involved in 7 space missions, collaborating with organizations such as ESA and NASA.

In 2024, KP Labs was honored with the Innovation Award at the inaugural ESA Supplier Performance Awards and received the President of Poland Award in the "SME Leader" category, recognizing the company’s contributions to technological advancement and the space sector.

KP Labs Smart Mission Ecosystem comprises of DPUs, as well as AI-powered algorithms and modular on-board software:

• Leopard DPU is a CubeSat standard compliant Data Processing Unit which enables mission designers to apply Artificial Intelligence solutions in space. It was designed to support capturing, managing and processing of data in orbit, with the application of Deep Neural Networks. Leopard is integrated with a powerful FPGA to accelerate execution of deep learning algorithms and has a throughput of up to 3 tera operations/second. A number of hardware and software measures protect the computer against the influence of radiation.

• Lion DPU is a data processing unit for advanced operations with the use of artificial intelligence and on-board data processing. The Lion DPU is dedicated to micro and small satellites weighing between 50 and 500kg. Lion is developed to process multi-dimensional and multi-sensor data in orbit and is composed of high-performance COTS components that satisfy the processing power, high reliability and memory bandwidth demands for a wide range of missions. Combined with The Herd (our library of AI-powered on-board data processing algorithms), this technology will connect the eyes (sensors) with the brain (DPU), thus enabling artificial intelligence to ensure autonomous decision making in situ.

• The Herd is a set of AI-powered algorithms designed to facilitate Earth Observation data analysis. It comprises three elements – data pre-processing techniques, approaches to spatial resolution enhancement of image data, and data analysis algorithms. The Herd fully supports the EO processing chain – from optical data acquisition, through data preparation and manipulation, up to data classification, segmentation, unmixing, compression, and much more. All key elements of The Herd were designed to be used both on Earth and on-board the satellite – they fit FPGA processors and are compatible with the Xilinx-based Data Processing Units. The full power of The Herd can be unchained in high-dimension Al data analysis – it handles hyperspectral, multispectral, and time-series data.

• Oryx is a modular flight software tool developed for the reliable mission control of small satellites. It utilizes an innovative framework that allows the customized development for the required kind of mission. Modular architecture, based on building from earlier-defined blocks, supports the rapid development and thorough testing of the final flight software. Oryx is capable of all satellite tasks management – processing the commands, retrieving, and storing the telemetry, fault detection isolation and recovery activities, executing predefined schedules, and more. It is equipped with a scripting language engine to extend the OBC features after the launch and handle problems in-orbit.

To support development and validation of on-board processing solutions, KP Labs offers Smart Mission Lab (SML) – a remote-access platform providing engineers, researchers, and developers with access to high-performance Data Processing Units. SML enables users to upload and test AI models, onboard software, and data processing algorithms without the need to purchase hardware or set up a local testing environment. The platform allows for real-time performance analysis and experimentation with different configurations, ensuring compatibility with mission-specific requirements. This approach reduces development time, lowers costs, and minimizes technical risks before committing to flight hardware.