Robot model
Phi-Sat-1
Phi-Sat-1 (ɸ-Sat-1), launched September 2020 on the Vega rocket, is ESA's first satellite to demonstrate artificial intelligence for Earth observation.
- Manufacturer
- European Space Agency
- Form factor
- aerial
- Maturity
- research
- Lifecycle
- active
- Deployments
- 1
- Website
- esa.int ↗
Overview
Phi-Sat-1 (ɸ-Sat-1), launched September 2020 on the Vega rocket, is ESA's first satellite to demonstrate artificial intelligence for Earth observation. A 6U CubeSat in the FSSCat mission, it uses on-board AI to filter cloud-covered images before transmission to ground stations, reducing bandwidth requirements. The AI processing was developed in collaboration with Ubotica and demonstrates ESA's technology roadmap for edge AI in space.
Verified vs. claimed
- Maturity stage
- research(Lab-stage only; no commercial or public deployment reported.)
- Verified deployments
- 1 deployment on file
- Sources on file
- 1 source, view all
Key facts
Launch
Form factor
Mission
AI capability
Partners
Significance
Specs
Role
Autonomy
Launched
Weight kg
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Pricing
No verified price is on record for Phi-Sat-1. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.
Deployments (1)
ESA Phi-Sat-1 (FSSCat) 6U CubeSat launched 2020-09-03 aboard Vega from Kourou.
Phi-Sat-1 on the deployment map
Where Phi-Sat-1 is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
- delivery and inspection drones in United States →
- delivery and inspection drones in California →
- delivery and inspection drones in Ukraine (combat zones) →
- delivery and inspection drones in Nevada →
- delivery and inspection drones in United Kingdom →
- delivery and inspection drones in China →
- The global deployment map →
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Verified media addedVerifiedJun 11, 2026
Artificial intelligence for Earth observation | ESA
- Record createdJun 6, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedSep 3, 2020
at Low Earth Orbit (Tiangong Space Station)
Safety record
No incidents on record for Phi-Sat-1.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Sources (1)
Common questions
- What is Phi-Sat-1?
- Phi-Sat-1 (ɸ-Sat-1), launched September 2020 on the Vega rocket, is ESA's first satellite to demonstrate artificial intelligence for Earth observation. A 6U CubeSat in the FSSCat mission, it uses on-board AI to filter cloud-covered images before transmission to ground stations, reducing bandwidth requirements. The AI processing was developed in collaboration with Ubotica and demonstrates ESA's technology roadmap for edge AI in space.
- How much does Phi-Sat-1 cost?
- Phi-Sat-1's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Phi-Sat-1 from European Space Agency. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
- Is Phi-Sat-1 actually deployed in the real world?
- Yes. Phi-Sat-1 is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
- Who makes Phi-Sat-1?
- Phi-Sat-1 is made by European Space Agency, based in Paris, France (HQ); ESTEC Noordwijk, Netherlands; ESOC Darmstadt, Germany; ESRIN Frascati, Italy, founded in 1975.
- Where is Phi-Sat-1 deployed?
- 1 verified deployment of Phi-Sat-1 is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Low Earth Orbit (Tiangong Space Station).
- Can you buy Phi-Sat-1?
- Phi-Sat-1 is at research stage and is not yet available for sale.
- What are alternatives to Phi-Sat-1?
- On the DEPLOY registry, comparable aerial robots to Phi-Sat-1 include Skydio X10, Wing Delivery Aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper, Matternet M2.
- How does Phi-Sat-1 compare to Skydio X10?
- Phi-Sat-1 and Skydio X10 (Skydio · 5 deployments) are both aerial robots on the DEPLOY registry. Phi-Sat-1 has 1 verified deployment on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
- Is Phi-Sat-1 a top aerial?
- On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Phi-Sat-1 ranks in roughly the top 43% of aerial models tracked by the registry.
- What is Phi-Sat-1's maturity stage?
- Phi-Sat-1 is at the research stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Research stage means active development without commercial deployments on file.
- Is Phi-Sat-1 safe?
- Phi-Sat-1 has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-18
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-18
Maturity + lifecycle
Maturity stage: research
Lifecycle: active
Architectural position
Cohort: aerial
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Phi-Sat-1.Recent coverage
Phi-Sat-1 in third-party press
Attention vs reality over time
Media mentions per month (area) against verified deployment events (dots). A press spike over a flat deployment line is the hype gap, drawn over time.
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Phi-Sat-1 from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
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Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /models/phi-sat-1.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/models/88a6bb09-5f19-4129-8706-c93ad50bdf76
- Revision history: /models/phi-sat-1/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Reality vs attention
Phi-Sat-1 draws attention at the 56th percentile but verifies reality at the 32nd percentile among aerial robots. Hype Gap +24.1, 20th widest among aerial robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Thin deployment record; scale validation still in progress.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Jul 21, 2026