Loft Orbital has secured an agreement with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to host and demonstrate AI software on its space infrastructure. The collaboration, part of JPL's Federated Autonomous MEasurement project funded by NASA's Earth Science Technology Office, will advance on-orbit AI capabilities for Earth science remote sensing. Flight demonstrations began in June 2026, with additional deployments scheduled through 2028. JPL's AI software aims to reduce data latency by processing information in near-real time, delivering urgent insights on wildfires, flooding and natural disasters to emergency responders. The spacecraft will demonstrate autonomous tip-and-queue tasking without ground intervention using intersatellite links. Founded in 2017, Loft Orbital has flown over 25 missions and operates facilities in San Francisco, Colorado and Toulouse, France.

A satellite has used a vision-language model to identify features on Earth autonomously for the first time, marking a significant milestone in space-based AI. The demonstration occurred in April aboard Yam-9, a spacecraft built by Loft Orbital, using software from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory powered by Google DeepMind's Gemma 3. The system successfully classified sensor data and identified infrastructure in response to natural language queries, without requiring human analysts on the ground. This approach could dramatically reduce the volume of raw data transmitted to Earth by performing initial analysis in orbit. Loft Orbital's head of AI Paul Lasserre said the technology enables "always-on, patrol layers in space" that can monitor specific areas and flag suspicious activity. The company aims to deploy 50-100 similar satellites for real-time global coverage, building on its current constellation of 12 spacecraft.

Loft signs strategic contract with CNES to provide access to next generation Earth observation capabilities. Loft, in partnership with Magellium Artal Group, today announced the signing of a multi-year contract worth up to tens of millions of euros by the French Space Agency (CNES) for the deployment of a next-generation Earth observation constellation. As part of the France 2030 program, the constellation will provide rapid revisit and faster access to actionable intelligence, with the first satellite scheduled to launch in Q4 2026. "This program represents a leap forward for operationalizing the benefits of AI in space, driving a new generation of space systems that will ultimately be capable of continuously delivering actionable intelligence in minutes," said Pierre-Damien Vaujour, CEO of Loft. "Loft is emerging as a world leader in AI-enabled space infrastructure, guaranteeing French sovereign access to novel capabilities in line with the objectives of France 2030." Serving diverse civil and defense use cases. The launch of this program is part of a rapid transformation of institutional needs for reliable, ready-to-use information. Rapid global change is driving public entities to invest in proactive, Earth observation capabilities that support civil security, maritime activities, disaster response, and environmental monitoring. AI-enabled satellites designed for on-orbit data fusion and persistent monitoring. At the core of the program is a constellation of 10 satellites built around a multi-sensor architecture. Each satellite integrates a range of complementary sensors, including optical, thermal infrared, hyperspectral, and radiofrequency, enabling simultaneous observation across multiple data layers. This approach provides a more complete understanding of a given area and enhances the ability to detect and analyze complex situations. The system also incorporates advanced onboard computing capabilities. Leveraging powerful processors and software applications, including AI-based models, satellites can filter data, identify relevant signals or changes, and accelerate how quickly information can be exploited. By processing data directly in orbit, the system enables faster delivery of actionable insights. A sovereign user ground segment for data processing. The program will include a sovereign user ground segment, developed and operated by Magellium Artal Group. With internationally recognized expertise in Earth observation, Magellium Artal Group will ensure secure processing and data quality monitoring. By deploying the ground segment on a dedicated infrastructure, Magellium Artal Group will help guarantee control of the data chain to institutional users, in compliance with security and sovereignty requirements. Signed with CNES, acting on behalf of the Ministries of Defence, Security and the Environment, this contract reflects renewed confidence in Loft. It confirms the company's ability to meet demanding Earth observation needs and sovereign security requirements for diverse government needs. It also represents a fundamental evolution of the European space ecosystem towards more integrated, agile systems designed for operational uses.