Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ORCHIDE (Orchestration of Reliable Computing on Heterogeneous Infrastructures Deployed at the Edge)
Période du rapport: 2023-12-01 au 2025-07-31
As environmental and security challenges grow, new technologies are needed to monitor Earth efficiently and minimize resource use. The ORCHIDE (Orchestration of Reliable Computing on Heterogeneous Infrastructures Deployed at the Edge) project addresses this by enabling secure deployment and orchestration of image processing applications on Earth Observation Satellites, independent of specific hardware or software platforms. ORCHIDE strengthens European autonomy in space and offers broad benefits for Earth observation and environmental monitoring.
Utilizing artificial intelligence, ORCHIDE supports applications such as fire detection, seaweed movement tracking, plastic pollution monitoring, and facility surveillance—improving global security. By processing images onboard satellites, only relevant information is sent to ground stations, filtering out low-value data (such as cloud-obscured images), which improves response times, enhances decision-making, and reduces costs.
ORCHIDE also democratizes access to space by providing an open solution for manufacturers and developers worldwide. They can create, package, and deploy their own services to be executed in space, enhancing market access and responsiveness. The system’s flexibility allows integration with a variety of platforms, ranging from high-altitude airships to drones.
The project delivers a complete technical solution with three parts:
Development Kit: Tools for creating lightweight, secure unikernel-based applications optimized for specific tasks.
Management Unit: Onboard component for deploying applications, allocating resources, and dynamically adapting priorities across missions.
Simulation Platform: Digital tools for designing, validating, and operating edge computing technologies in space.
To ensure long-term effectiveness, ORCHIDE’s management unit is designed for agility, security, and compatibility with diverse hardware and edge/cloud technologies. The team employs eco-design and green IT principles to maximize resource efficiency and minimize the system’s environmental impact.
Security is reinforced via “secure by design” unikernel architecture and trusted IT features like data separation and cryptography, ensuring robust, reliable operations. The project will conclude by demonstrating ORCHIDE’s system—proving hardware and software performance under realistic space conditions using existing image processing applications.
Utilizing artificial intelligence, ORCHIDE supports applications such as fire detection, seaweed movement tracking, plastic pollution monitoring, and facility surveillance—improving global security. By processing images onboard satellites, only relevant information is sent to ground stations, filtering out low-value data (such as cloud-obscured images), which improves response times, enhances decision-making, and reduces costs.
ORCHIDE also democratizes access to space by providing an open solution for manufacturers and developers worldwide. They can create, package, and deploy their own services to be executed in space, enhancing market access and responsiveness. The system’s flexibility allows integration with a variety of platforms, ranging from high-altitude airships to drones.
The project delivers a complete technical solution with three parts:
Development Kit: Tools for creating lightweight, secure unikernel-based applications optimized for specific tasks.
Management Unit: Onboard component for deploying applications, allocating resources, and dynamically adapting priorities across missions.
Simulation Platform: Digital tools for designing, validating, and operating edge computing technologies in space.
To ensure long-term effectiveness, ORCHIDE’s management unit is designed for agility, security, and compatibility with diverse hardware and edge/cloud technologies. The team employs eco-design and green IT principles to maximize resource efficiency and minimize the system’s environmental impact.
Security is reinforced via “secure by design” unikernel architecture and trusted IT features like data separation and cryptography, ensuring robust, reliable operations. The project will conclude by demonstrating ORCHIDE’s system—proving hardware and software performance under realistic space conditions using existing image processing applications.
The scientific and technical objectives of the project, planned to be completed during the reporting period (1st December 2023 - 30th September 2024), were fully confirmed and validated in the early months, providing a solid foundation for implementation. Since then, the project has progressed according to plan, with significant deliverables and milestones achieved, demonstrating the project’s structured approach.
As of month 8 (July 2024), all 13 planned deliverables were successfully completed and submitted. The project achieved its first milestone in month 6, marked by the completion and publication of nine deliverables. These deliverables established a foundation for the project's core components and validated initial technical assumptions, allowing the project to move confidently into more complex stages of development.
The second milestone, the successful delivery of the project architecture definition, has been another key technical achievement. The defined architecture outlines the infrastructure and technical requirements needed to support project objectives, setting the stage for subsequent work packages and development phases.
The project’s next milestone is planned for early 2025 and will focus on the preparation of detailed design documentation. This upcoming phase will include the technical specifications and design elements required to transition into the project’s development and deployment stages. This milestone will be critical in ensuring that all design aspects align with the project’s objectives and that resources are allocated efficiently to optimize implementation.
The project continues to adhere closely to its initial goals and technical roadmap, maintaining a clear focus on achieving both short-term deliverables and long-term milestones. Progress toward meeting the project objectives is ongoing, with activities completed so far showing substantial advancement toward fully reaching these goals. As anticipated, WP2 has been 100% completed, and WP1, WP3, and WP6 are progressing as planned.
For the Second period (October 2024 - End of July 2025), we have successfully completed the third milestone, ‘Detail design review’. We led a review meeting with our Advisory Borad to discuss and validate the design and validate for this milestone. Two deliverables were submitted to confirm this Milestone:
• ‘ORCHIDE framework detailed design’ document which describes the detailed architecture and the decisions made during the implementation of the software components defined by the overall design document.
• ‘ORCHIDE orchestration and simulation Detailed Design’ document which outlines the dynamic and static architecture choices and the design decisions for orchestration and simulation software. It defines a collection of software components with their description, in order to establish a framework for the overall development of the software, while complying with the applicable requirements.
The development phase for WP3 has been successfully completed. In parallel with WP4, the integration work package, we have worked iteratively to integrate the various developed components into a development environment, preparing for the next phase of integration in the final planned environment.
As of month 8 (July 2024), all 13 planned deliverables were successfully completed and submitted. The project achieved its first milestone in month 6, marked by the completion and publication of nine deliverables. These deliverables established a foundation for the project's core components and validated initial technical assumptions, allowing the project to move confidently into more complex stages of development.
The second milestone, the successful delivery of the project architecture definition, has been another key technical achievement. The defined architecture outlines the infrastructure and technical requirements needed to support project objectives, setting the stage for subsequent work packages and development phases.
The project’s next milestone is planned for early 2025 and will focus on the preparation of detailed design documentation. This upcoming phase will include the technical specifications and design elements required to transition into the project’s development and deployment stages. This milestone will be critical in ensuring that all design aspects align with the project’s objectives and that resources are allocated efficiently to optimize implementation.
The project continues to adhere closely to its initial goals and technical roadmap, maintaining a clear focus on achieving both short-term deliverables and long-term milestones. Progress toward meeting the project objectives is ongoing, with activities completed so far showing substantial advancement toward fully reaching these goals. As anticipated, WP2 has been 100% completed, and WP1, WP3, and WP6 are progressing as planned.
For the Second period (October 2024 - End of July 2025), we have successfully completed the third milestone, ‘Detail design review’. We led a review meeting with our Advisory Borad to discuss and validate the design and validate for this milestone. Two deliverables were submitted to confirm this Milestone:
• ‘ORCHIDE framework detailed design’ document which describes the detailed architecture and the decisions made during the implementation of the software components defined by the overall design document.
• ‘ORCHIDE orchestration and simulation Detailed Design’ document which outlines the dynamic and static architecture choices and the design decisions for orchestration and simulation software. It defines a collection of software components with their description, in order to establish a framework for the overall development of the software, while complying with the applicable requirements.
The development phase for WP3 has been successfully completed. In parallel with WP4, the integration work package, we have worked iteratively to integrate the various developed components into a development environment, preparing for the next phase of integration in the final planned environment.
As we are currently in the second reporting period, the results and potential impacts of the project are still being developed. Several activities are underway:
IPR management: We are working with the internal legal team to manage the intellectual property related to the various developments in the project.
Commercialization efforts: Collaborating with Tarides, TAS, and KPLabs to prepare actions for the next steps in commercialization.
Development phase: The development phase is nearing completion. Integration of the different components into the development environment has started successfully. From September 2025 onwards, we will begin integrating into the final environment to prepare for demonstrations with the selected use cases.
IPR management: We are working with the internal legal team to manage the intellectual property related to the various developments in the project.
Commercialization efforts: Collaborating with Tarides, TAS, and KPLabs to prepare actions for the next steps in commercialization.
Development phase: The development phase is nearing completion. Integration of the different components into the development environment has started successfully. From September 2025 onwards, we will begin integrating into the final environment to prepare for demonstrations with the selected use cases.