KDDI and Space Data have collaborated to create a virtual International Space Station (ISS) as part of their partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This initiative aims to showcase robotic operations in a virtual setting from April to October 2025. The technology in development allows robotic movements in the virtual ISS, mimicking the commands used for JAXA’s Int-Ball2, a space robot on the real ISS.
The project seeks to replicate space robot behaviors in a virtual environment and compare them to real robot activities on the physical ISS. This comparison is made possible using identical commands. The data from the physical ISS, including imagery and gravitational conditions, will be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of the virtual platform.
Space Data, a research and development startup engaged in merging space-based technologies like satellites with digital advancements such as AI, is instrumental in this project. They emphasize that enhancing reliability in a virtual environment allows for more comprehensive validation during the development and design stages of spacecraft and robots. This potentially reduces costs and improves operations at space stations through increased robot efficiency.
This endeavor dovetails with a 1 trillion yen Space Strategy Fund initiated by the Japanese government to bolster space-related projects. The virtual ISS was showcased at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona starting March 3rd, 2025.
