Akula Tech's 16U CubeSat bus for AI and edge-computing missions: 8–10U scalable payload volume, 144W solar array, up to 336 Wh storage, 1 Gbps S/X-band downlink, and optional up to 100 TOPS GPU processing on-orbit.
A16 — 16U CubeSat Platform
Akula Tech's 16U CubeSat bus for AI and edge-computing missions: 8–10U scalable payload volume, 144W solar array, up to 336 Wh storage, 1 Gbps S/X-band downlink, and optional up to 100 TOPS GPU processing on-orbit.
Description
The A16 is Akula Tech's 16U CubeSat platform engineered for compute-intensive, AI-driven LEO missions requiring large payload accommodation and high-bandwidth downlink. The bus provides 8U to 10U of scalable payload space, accommodating hyperspectral imagers, radar payloads, OBCs, and AI inference accelerators simultaneously — enabling multi-mission use from a single platform. Power is supplied by 144W body-mounted and deployable solar panels with 168–336 Wh scalable battery storage, supporting continuous AI and high-data-rate downlink operations. Downlink is available via standard S-band/UHF TT&C (4 Mbps / 9 kbps) or optional high-speed S-band/X-band at up to 1 Gbps, supporting Level-0-to-Level-3 on-orbit data processing without relying on ground-based post-processing. Optional onboard GPU processing can be configured to up to 100 TOPS for AI/ML model execution in orbit. The modular design allows the total satellite volume to expand up to 30U for missions with larger payload or propulsion requirements. Akula Tech uses metal and composite 3D printing manufacturing processes, enabling custom structural designs and mass-optimized hardware at competitive price points. The Nexus-01 mission — a hosted payload on SpaceX Falcon 9 — demonstrated Akula Tech's AI satellite technology in orbit using the same computing architecture underlying the A16 platform.
Specifications
| Form factor | 16U CubeSat (expandable to 30U) |
|---|---|
| Payload volume | 8U–10U scalable |
| Solar array power | 144 W |
| Battery capacity | 168–336 Wh (scalable) |
| Downlink (standard) | 4 Mbps S-band / 9 kbps UHF |
| Downlink (high-speed) | Up to 1 Gbps S/X-band |
| On-orbit gpu processing | Up to 100 TOPS (optional) |
| Target orbit | LEO |
| Applications | Earth observation, hyperspectral processing, edge AI, distributed constellation computing |
