Bringing Cloud Native PaaS To Space: Onboard Edge Computing f... Adele Karam Hankache & Sergiu Weisz

This talk explores the innovative application of cloud-native technologies for space missions, specifically focusing on the development of a lightweight cloud-native Platform as a Service (PaaS) for onboard edge computing in satellites. The speakers, Adele Karam Hankache from Thales Alenia Space and Sergiu Weisz from POLITEHNICA Bucharest, discuss the challenges faced in Earth Observation missions due to massive data volumes and the limitations of traditional space software. They present their approach to adapting cloud solutions for space by orchestrating diverse workloads, including AI, on heterogeneous clusters of CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs. Key technologies highlighted include unikernels like MirageOS and Unikraft, along with K3s and Argo, all chosen to optimize memory usage, enhance energy efficiency, and mitigate security risks, with insights drawn from the European ORCHIDE project.