SpaceData

SpaceData Inc., established in January 2017, is a technology firm focused on the intersection of space and digital technologies. The company develops AI that automatically generates digital twins of Earth by processing satellite imagery and geospatial data. This technology creates high-fidelity 3D models for industries such as urban development, gaming, video production, and autonomous driving.

The company was founded by Katsuaki Sato, a serial entrepreneur who previously founded and took a big data analytics company public. His experience in big data informs SpaceData's approach to treating the universe as a structure of information to be democratized, aiming to make space as accessible as the internet.

Beyond Earth observation, SpaceData is developing digital twin environments for space, including the International Space Station (ISS) and the lunar surface, to facilitate simulations for mission planning and hardware testing. In collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), SpaceData is creating a "Space Digital Twin" of the "Kibo" Japanese Experiment Module on the ISS, integrating environmental data to create a virtual testbed. The firm is also developing operating systems for space stations and robotics, such as the "Space Station OS," to automate operations and reduce the need for manpower in space exploration.

In August 2022, SpaceData announced a seed funding round of $10.4 million from investors including Spiral Capital, KDDI Open Innovation Fund, and GREE Ventures. The company has formed strategic partnerships with organizations like JAXA and U.S.-based Redwire to integrate its digital twin and AI capabilities into missions and future commercial space destinations.

Keywords: digital twin, AI, satellite data, 3D models, geospatial data, space technology, earth observation, space simulation, metaverse, virtual reality, space robotics, JAXA, Katsuaki Sato, ISS simulator, lunar digital twin, space station OS, autonomous systems, 3DCG, virtual worlds, remote sensing