Halifax space startup Galaxia Mission Systems is receiving $1.7 million from the Canadian Space Agency to launch the first two in a “constellation” of satellites equipped with its edge computing technology.

Galaxia, founded in 2020 by Dalhousie University engineer Arad Gharagozli, is developing technology to allow groups of satellites to complete computing tasks among themselves, rather than relying solely on instructions from Earth. Edge computing, like that used in the company’s flagship MÖBIUS SDS system, aims to process data as close to its source on a network as possible for the sake of efficiency.

The two CSA-funded launches will be of nano-satellites — meaning they will weigh less than 10 kilograms — and be “the first of dozens,” Galaxia said in a statement. The company did not specify whether the $1.7 million is a loan or a grant.

“GALAXIA’S MÖBIUS SDS is disrupting the current space technology market by addressing several key challenges,” the statement said. “The first being access to space technology and data. Historically, small to medium-sized businesses have been largely excluded from being able to leverage data from space to grow and revolutionize their businesses due to the significant financial and regulatory barriers.

“However, with MÖBIUS's unique, only-pay-for-what-you-use, service model and highly customizable platform, thousands of small to medium-sized businesses across the globe will be able to create custom applications to transform their businesses at an affordable rate.”

The company added that the satellites will have applications in fields ranging from infrastructure monitoring, like tracking the condition of power lines, to maritime security, such as spotting illegal fishing activity.

Galaxia also recently completed the first phase of a Department of National Defence deal to develop and pilot a neural network for observing events on Earth via a satellite’s on-board computing power. The general flexibility of such networks means the FaLCON software can be trained to detect a range of different changes in a landscape depending on what the user wants to observe.