Uncooperative objects
Inspect and navigate around spacecraft and debris that cannot cooperate.
Unknown to known, on orbit.
Penumbra Autonomy builds onboard perception, estimation and navigation that let spacecraft see, characterize and operate around uncooperative objects, without waiting on the ground.
Our capabilities
See the target.
Understand it.
Operate around it.
Perception, estimation and navigation for inspection and proximity operations around uncooperative objects.
01Perception
Detect and track through changing illumination.
Maintain awareness of an object as it moves through light and shadow. Our perception capabilities support inspection of targets that offer no cooperative assistance.
A clearer view of the object your mission depends on.
02Estimation
Characterize the target and its motion.
Build an understanding of an object's behavior and its state relative to the observing spacecraft, informing inspection and approach decisions.
More knowledge before committing to closer operations.
03Navigation
Support proximity operations onboard.
Provide relative navigation around uncooperative objects, supporting spacecraft operations as conditions change and reducing reliance on continuous ground involvement.
Greater autonomy for operations around unfamiliar targets.
04Scalability
Low-SWaP-C autonomy.
Designed for spacecraft with tight size, weight, power, and cost constraints.
Accessible autonomy across spacecraft and fleets.
The Problem
Congested orbits.
Contested operations.
Denied communications
Operate onboard when ground communications are unavailable.
Unknown motion
Characterize unfamiliar objects before closer operations.
Mission applications
From inspection to
proximity operations.
Capabilities for commercial and national-security missions that need to understand and operate around objects in orbit.
Sustainable space operationsInspect before you approach.
Assess a client or inactive spacecraft before planning a closer interaction. Onboard inspection and characterization can inform servicing, mission extension, and debris-removal operations.
Discuss an inspection mission
Space domain awarenessUnderstand objects of interest.
Characterize unfamiliar objects and their motion to inform operational planning. Explore onboard autonomy for missions where continuous ground involvement is impractical.
Discuss your operational needsOur team
Built on spacecraft
autonomy research.
A team shaped at Georgia Tech, bringing together experience in spacecraft autonomy, perception, and estimation.
Juan-Diego Florez
Spacecraft autonomy
PhD candidate at Georgia Tech, researching autonomy for orbital operations.
Iason Velentzas
Perception systems
PhD candidate at Georgia Tech, researching reliable perception in space.
Dr. Panagiotis Tsiotras
Aerospace & autonomy
Georgia Tech faculty with expertise in control, robotics, and spacecraft autonomy.
Let's talk about your mission
Make the extraordinary
routine.
Planning a mission that needs onboard inspection, characterization, or relative navigation? Let's discuss your requirements and explore the fit.