Illustration: Via Satellite/Freepik

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has selected a crop of space startups for a new program called the AWS Space Accelerator, in collaboration with space investor firm Seraphim. The companies selected span a broad range of space capabilities: Cognitive Space, D-Orbit, Descartes Labs, Edgybees, Hawkeye 360, LeoLabs, Lunar Outpost, Orbital Sidekick, Satellite VU, and Ursa Space. 

The AWS Space Accelerator is a four-week business support program that will provide AWS Cloud and technical training to help them accelerate research, development, and growth using AWS. The program also comes with up to  $100,000 in credit toward AWS Activate, an Amazon program geared toward startups. 

Amazon CTO Werner Vogels wrote in a blog post about the program that the companies were selected out of more than 190 proposals from 44 countries.

Three of the startups — Cognitive Space, D-Orbit, and Leolabs — deal with space traffic management and in-orbit satellite operations, and Lunar Outpost is working to develop autonomous robots for space exploration. Six of the companies —  Descartes Labs, Edgybees, Hawkeye 360, Orbital Sidekick, Satellite VU, and Ursa Space — are remote sensing players with data targeted toward a wide range of use cases. 

“It’s clear to me that opportunities are ripe to expand what’s possible in space with capabilities such as remote satellite command and control, autonomous capabilities on-orbit, and better solutions for data transfer. I view space start-ups as essential to delivering on that potential, and I’m excited to watch our first cohort continue to experiment and grow in the cloud,” Vogels wrote.

Amazon Web Services is beefing up its efforts to engage with the space industry. Last year, the company created a  a new business segment dedicated to serving the aerospace and satellite industry — AWS Aerospace and Satellite Solutions. AWS also offers AWS Ground Station, a managed network of ground station antennas for satellite owners and operators.