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Leading Earth Observation and AI data intelligence provider Aspia Space expands team with new hires

Aspia Space, the leading satellite data intelligence provider, today announces two new appointments as it expands its team to meet growing demand for its pioneering Earth observation data intelligence service.

New Director of AI division

Co-founder and managing partner Mike Smith joins Aspia Space in a permanent role as Director of its AI division.  With a background in applying deep learning techniques to astrophysics, earth observation and medicine, Mike is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a twice former recipient of The Alan Turing Institute’s Enrichment Scheme.

Mike co-developed the ground-breaking AI algorithm and deep generative learning code that removes cloud cover from our Earth observation imagery with Aspia Space’s founder and managing partner Professor Jim Geach while working together at the University of Hertfordshire.

Mike Smith commented: “I’m eager to keep Aspia Space at the cutting-edge of AI research, and very excited to begin working full time with such a talented group of people.”

New Director of Product

Sarah Fairbairn joins Aspia Space as Director of Product. Sarah recently completed her Masters in Data Science with Artificial Intelligence at the University of Exeter and picked up the Bright Future Student Knowledge Exchange Award for her outstanding project work. Prior to studying for her Masters, Sarah held the roles of R & D Director and Product Discovery Manager at LumiraDx Care Solutions, a medtech software company.

Sarah Fairbairn commented: “I am delighted to be joining the amazing team at Aspia Space.  Earth observation is such an exciting area, and I am looking forward to working with the team to expand Aspia Space's data intelligence offerings to create even more impactful and insightful products."

Commenting on the appointments, co-founder and managing partner Professor Jim Geach said: “Mike has already played a huge role in co-developing our ClearSky service and I’m excited to be working with Mike again as we continue to develop cutting-edge AI solutions for our clients.”

“Sarah’s experience in Product research and development and her passion for data science and finding simple solutions to complex challenges will be a huge asset to the business as we continue to scale over the coming months.”

About Aspia Space:

Founded in 2021 and based in Cornwall, UK, Aspia Space is a company pushing the limits of Earth Observation data. With over two decades of expertise in image and spectral analysis rooted in astrophysics, and bringing to bear cutting-edge deep learning techniques, Aspia Space is innovating in downstream Earth Observation analysis. We are passionate about deriving meaning from remote sensing data, unlocking value and gaining insights that others cannot. This allows our customers to make better decisions based on reliable intelligence, leading to improvements in efficiency, productivity and sustainability.