Sanzar Group participation in SmallSat Symposium 2025

From 4 to 6 February 2025, the SmallSat Symposium turned Mountain View, California, into a hub of innovation, bringing together industry leaders to explore the latest advances and the most pressing challenges in the small satellite sector.

One of the standout sessions was “AI Applications for SmallSat Data, Situation Awareness, and Maneuvering”, held on 6 February from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Dr. Marco Ruano, founder and director of Sanzar Group, took part as a panellist in this session, moderated by Dr. Paul Struhsaker, CEO of Arrasar Partners. Dr. Ruano, with a long background in the aerospace and academic sectors, shared his view that Earth observation operators need to accelerate data downloads from satellites. He stressed that “the more AI can assist onboard the satellite itself, the easier the ground operations will become afterward.” He also highlighted the importance of managing satellite constellations, ensuring security and preventing collisions, and pointed out that onboard data processing is a growing trend that will coexist with both optical and RF imaging.

Dr. Ruano also stressed the urgent need to update technologies in Earth observation control operations. He told of a recent visit to a control office still relying on outdated operating systems, underlining the risks involved and the need for modernisation.

The session also included other key speakers, such as Matteo Cuccorese, founder of SPAICE Technology Ltd, and Álvaro Alonso Ruiz, co-founder and CCO of Leanspace, who discussed AI applications in Earth observation and satellite constellation management.

Dr. Ruano’s participation in SmallSat Symposium 2025 underlined the growing importance of AI in Earth observation operations and the industry’s need to adopt modern technologies to face current and future challenges.

[1] SmallSat Symposium, “AI applications for SmallSat data, situation awareness, and maneuvering,” 2025. [Online]. Available: https://smallsatshow.com/sessions/ai-applications-for-smallsat-data-situation-awareness-and-maneuvering

[2] SatNews, “Finding the best use of AI in Earth Observation,” Feb. 6, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://news.satnews.com/2025/02/06/finding-the-best-use-of-ai-in-eo