Two NPU boards based on Mobilint's REGULUS semiconductor reached orbit on Oct. 8 aboard BEE-1012, a secondary payload satellite on the fifth Nuri launch — the first time a South Korean-designed NPU has flown on a satellite, the company said.

BEE-1012 is Spacelintec's space biopharmaceutical demonstration satellite. Mobilint's boards carry out two distinct missions on the spacecraft.

What tasks do the boards perform?

The first board handles satellite condition analysis, built in cooperation with KAI and Funzin. It runs an AI model that processes satellite status data, detects anomalies, and identifies their causes. The goal: let the satellite respond to failures on its own and make operational decisions without waiting for ground instructions.

The second board supports protein crystal growth observation and image analysis, developed with Spacelintec. It analyzes crystal growth images captured in microgravity, assesses growth status, and feeds results back into adjusting experimental conditions and selecting the required data.

Mobilint's role extended beyond chip supply. The company produced boards tailored to each mission, handled testing, integrated the AI models, and stabilized communications with the satellite's internal control computer.

Why analyze data on the satellite itself?

Both boards run onboard AI that processes data directly in orbit. Satellites have limited communication windows with ground stations. By analyzing data locally and transmitting only the required information, the system cuts transmission volume and shortens decision time.

Mobilint CEO Dong-ju Shin framed the milestone in operational terms: "In space, it is important not only to send collected data to the ground but also to analyze and make decisions on site."

What comes next?

Mobilint plans to verify that the NPU boards and AI models operate normally in a satellite environment constrained by limited power and communications. During the initial operation phase, the company and its partners will confirm board operation, then check in stages the results of in-orbit AI function tests and mission data processing.

The data collected will feed development of high-reliability edge AI products and systems suited to space conditions.

"Using this installation as a starting point, we will secure actual operational data for domestically made AI semiconductors and advance the technologies needed by customers seeking to apply AI in environments with limited power and communications, including space," Shin said.

The flight gives Mobilint its first operational track record for REGULUS in orbit — a reference point for customers in satellite, defense, and other edge deployments where power and bandwidth budgets are tight.