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This week’s issue highlights how AI is shaping satellite infrastructure, lunar operations, real-time Earth observation and venture investment.

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Oman’s new AI-ready ground station

Oman has received a new satellite ground station engineered for artificial intelligence integration, the result of a two-year collaboration between Polish space company SatRev and Oman’s ETCO Space. Located in the coastal desert and shielded by a radome for protection against sand and salt, the station supports UHF and S-band communications and is built to accommodate AI tools and analytics capabilities as part of a modular Ground Station as a Service (G-SaaS) model.

The partnership dates back to 2021 when SatRev, ETCO, and Polish AI and data analytics company TUATARA signed a memorandum of understanding at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai. That agreement laid the foundation for a broader effort that includes Oman’s first cubesat, local workforce development, and integrated AI data systems.

The new station is designed to scale with evolving mission requirements, supporting diverse constellations, including commercial and government satellites. It also sets the groundwork for future satellite operations across the Middle East.

🚀 Read more in Jaroslaw Adamowski's story in SpaceNews on how Polish space company SatRev is launching an Omani ground station amid international expansion.

NASA tests onboard AI to guide satellite targeting

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has successfully conducted an on-orbit test of Dynamic Targeting, an AI-enabled system that allows spacecraft to autonomously assess environmental conditions and determine optimal observation targets within seconds. The first demonstration, conducted aboard the CogniSAT-6 CubeSat, showed the system’s ability to identify clouds and dynamically replan image capture to prioritize clear-sky views, all without human input.

Dynamic Targeting uses a look-ahead strategy, tilting the satellite forward in its orbit to scan upcoming terrain. A trained AI algorithm analyzes the data onboard and determines whether to capture or cancel the scheduled observation. This cloud-avoidance capability reduces unnecessary data collection, lowers bandwidth use and increases the proportion of useful scientific imagery returned to Earth.

The demonstration marks the first time a satellite has autonomously executed this full observation loop in space, completing the entire sequence in under 90 seconds. The system leverages a commercially available AI processor supplied by Ubotica and draws on earlier testing conducted aboard the International Space Station.

Future test phases will target short-lived phenomena such as wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and severe weather systems. Dynamic Targeting’s architecture allows it to be tailored for different sensing modalities, including radar-based storm tracking. The AI can be trained to identify thermal anomalies, plume events, or rare storm structures, allowing spacecraft to adapt their observation plans in real time based on onboard detection.

The broader vision includes multi-satellite constellations operating under a federated AI model. In this approach, one satellite could detect an event and alert others in its network to respond, allowing for persistent observation of transient events. A test of this concept—called Federated Autonomous MEasurement—is scheduled to begin later this year. NASA sees Dynamic Targeting as a foundational step toward more intelligent, self-directing missions in both Earth orbit and planetary exploration.

🚀 Read more in NASA's announcement of how NASA is testing AI to make Earth-observing satellites smarter.

Glade Brook’s latest fund targets AI and space startups

Glade Brook Capital, a Connecticut-based growth equity firm, has closed a new fund aimed at supporting high-growth companies in artificial intelligence, fintech, e-commerce, defense and space. The fund exceeded its initial target despite difficult macroeconomic conditions. Founder Paul Hudson called the current fundraising climate the most challenging of his career.

AI and space remain central sectors for Glade Brook, which has built a portfolio that includes xAI, Neuralink, and AI-powered search firm Perplexity. The firm is positioning itself to back companies developing scalable, AI-integrated solutions across strategic verticals, including commercial space infrastructure and data platforms.

Glade Brook has a track record of investing in late-stage technology firms, including Uber, Airbnb, and Stripe. With its new fund, the company intends to focus on ventures that are both capital efficient and technically differentiated, particularly those building foundational technologies at the convergence of AI and aerospace.

🚀 Read more on how Glade Brook has raised $515 million to back AI and space startups.

Sidus unveils AI-driven lunar satellite platform

Sidus Space has introduced LunarLizzie, a next-generation spacecraft platform purpose-built for lunar and cislunar operations. Designed to support payloads of up to 800 kilograms, LunarLizzie integrates AI-powered autonomous navigation, orbital sensing, encryption and data fusion to enable near real-time terrain awareness and environmental intelligence on and around the moon.

The satellite is equipped with Sidus’ proprietary FeatherEdge 248Vi onboard computer, part of the Fortis™ VPX architecture, which provides edge processing capabilities directly in orbit. This setup is expected to allow the platform to detect terrain shifts, surface hazards, and dust activity in real time—without needing to downlink data before analysis.

LunarLizzie’s design includes system-level AI integration, radiation-hardened components, and in-flight reprogrammable FPGAs that enable adaptive mission configurations. Core functions include autonomous targeting, live telemetry, and secure communications. The satellite can dynamically handle tasking requests from both robotic and crewed lunar missions, offering a new level of operational autonomy for surface exploration and infrastructure support.

By combining AI-driven onboard intelligence with high-resolution sensors and autonomy, Sidus aims to position LunarLizzie as a critical asset for space agencies, national security clients and commercial operators planning long-term lunar infrastructure.

🚀 Read more on Sidus Space's announcement of LunarLizzie.

About SpaceNext AI

SpaceNext AI is a weekly newsletter on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the space industry, delivering sharp, insightful updates on AI’s role in space exploration and technology. AI assists with research and drafting, but each insight is carefully reviewed and refined by our team to keep our content accurate, engaging, and relevant. Have tips or feedback? Click reply and let us know.

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