🛰️ In this special episode of Siren Investigates, Siren CEO John Randles sits down with Fintan Buckley, CEO and co-founder of Ubotica, a pioneering company bringing AI to space. From launching satellites to defending critical infrastructure, they explore how AI-powered Earth observation is transforming national security, maritime protection, and European defense strategy. 🌍

🎙️ Hear how a Galway-based journey evolved into launching a satellite, surviving the South Atlantic Anomaly, and becoming a key player in safeguarding Europe’s future—above and below sea level.

Topics covered include:

🪐 The role of AI in real-time satellite imaging

🪐 Detecting threats from seabed to space

🪐 The changing geopolitics of European Defence

🪐 Data centres in orbit and space tugs

🪐 Advice for engineers and entrepreneurs in space tech

#AI #Satellites #NationalSecurity #MaritimeSecurity #SpaceTech #InOrbitIntelligence #SirenInvestigates #Ubotica #sirenpoweringinvestigations

Chapters

00:00 - Intro: Fintan Buckley joins Siren Investigates

01:04 - What is Ubotica and how did it begin?

03:00 - Galway’s tech roots and Movidius legacy

05:20 - Bringing AI to space, origins with the ESA

07:00 - Disrupting satellite development with AI

09:10 - Real-time Earth observation and its impact

11:00 - Maritime domain awareness: the use case

13:00 - Protecting infrastructure from seabed to space

15:00 - Geopolitics, Russian threats and critical infrastructure

17:30 - Launching their own satellite and ESA partnership

20:00 - The South Atlantic Anomaly a near-disaster recovery

23:30 - AI-led decision-making and autonomy in orbit

27:00 - Virtual constellations and multi-sensor fusion

30:00 - Trusting AI to manage satellites in real-time

33:00 - Space industry trends: tugs, debris, and orbital refuelling

36:00 - Europe’s place in the space race

38:30 - The push for a sovereign European satellite network

40:00 - Advice for engineers and entrepreneurs

42:00 - Radiation, AI resilience, and real world testing

44:00 - Final thoughts, the future of AI in space