LeopardISS, a compact data processing unit developed by KP Labs, has been successfully installed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) – the company announced on Thursday. The device is part of IGNIS, Poland’s technological and scientific mission, and one of the mission’s 13 groundbreaking experiments.
The unit has been placed inside the European Columbus module, with its installation documented in photographs taken on the ISS.
“This is a historic moment – for the first time, a technology entirely designed and built in Poland has been integrated into the largest research laboratory in orbit,” said the team behind the experiment in a press release.
The data processing unit, developed by KP Labs in Gliwice, will now await the arrival of Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, who is scheduled to travel to the ISS on June 8. His arrival will mark the official start of the LeopardISS experiment.
LeopardISS is a data processing unit (DPU) designed for in-orbit validation of machine learning algorithms without the need to build or launch a dedicated satellite. The system was entirely developed by KP Labs engineers in Gliwice, Poland, and optimized for flexible AI experimentation in space. It has been installed on the ICE Cubes platform within the Columbus module, where it will be operated remotely from Earth. ICE Cubes provides power, data access, and continuous communication links, enabling long-term and repeatable technology demonstrations in microgravity.
The heart of the unit is a cube-shaped module, measuring approximately 10x10x10 cm. Rather than using fixed software, it supports dynamic remote loading of applications. The first experiment will validate 3D terrain mapping algorithms developed by Poznań University of Technology, originally created for autonomous planetary missions involving rovers on the Moon or Mars. Using real orbital data and onboard processing, the effectiveness of these algorithms will be tested in real-world space conditions.
If successful, LeopardISS could become a permanent fixture aboard the ISS, offering research institutions and companies the ability to “upload” their own applications for scientific studies or Earth observation – without the need for custom hardware or dedicated spacecraft.
The LeopardISS platform builds on experience gained during Intuition-1, KP Labs’ previous mission that tested AI solutions in orbit. The new unit is designed for enhanced flexibility and iterative deployment of AI algorithms, including image classification, change detection, compression, and encryption – all performed directly in space. By using KP Labs’ solution, organizations can gain flight heritage (space mission experience) without launching their own satellites.
To learn more about LeopardISS, visit https://kplabs.space
For details about the IGNIS mission, visit https://plinspace.pl
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