November 15,
1988 marks the first — and sadly the last — flight of the Energia-Buran space
system, the rival to the U.S. Space Shuttle.
I had the privilege of working on that program — one of the early and
remarkably successful complex autonomous systems — an extraordinary engineering
effort whose legacy still inspires me today and serves as a powerful reminder
of what dedicated engineering teams can achieve, and what is sometimes lost.
It's fascinating to watch how the light and colours change during the day at the AEMS test site.
As threats evolve and become increasingly dispersed, the ability to operate independently - without relying on permanent infrastructure or continuous human control - is no longer a luxury. As ongoing war in Ukraine shows, it is an absolute imperative. Whether for Arctic domain awareness, counter-drone protection, or off-grid surveillance in remote or challenging environments, modern security space demand resilient, modular, autonomous systems that can be deployed quickly, reconfigured as needed, and relied upon when everything else fails.
At Ascent Systems Technologies, we’ve built just that.
Our Autonomous Environment Monitoring and Surveillance (AEMS) module is a terrestrial spacecraft, which can be delivered to any place on Earth, deployed automatically and operate autonomously. Originally developed through the Department of National Defence IDEaS Sub-Zero Challenge, it has matured into a multi-role, mission-adaptable asset. Built on a rugged, self-deploying platform, fitting within the standard 20 ft shipping container, it can be transported by any means including airlift. With its automatic deployment, integrated power generation and built-in energy storage, AEMS is capable to autonomously support a wide variety of operational payloads, making it highly relevant to defence, security, and emergency applications.
The AMES prototype, on which the AEMS was subsequently built upon, went through all phases of the Canadian DND Pop-Up City contest under the IDEaS program and was successfully demonstrated in the final phase of the contest in Suffield, Alberta.
Accepted for testing by the Government of Canada, the AEMS is currently deployed and operating at the Transport Canada remote location, providing valuable environment data and video surveillance day and night, shine or rain. It is equipped with the integrated weather sensor and communication antennae on two telescopic masts and HD/IR cameras, UAV hosting with charging, launching and retrieval capabilities.
On the photo below, what
looks like vehicle's headlights here, are in fact the module's thermal cameras' illuminators for night vision, invisible to a human eye, captured by the external infrared camera.
Importantly, AEMS inherent modular architecture means it is not a narrowly specialized solution—it is a universal platform, capable of serving multiple mission profiles across agencies, departments, and operational theatres. Its real value lying in what it can be equipped to do:
C-UAS operations: AEMS can be outfitted with anti-drone payloads, both kinetic and directed energy, offering a deployable layer of defence for forward operating locations, base perimeters, or critical infrastructure.
Minefield breaching: Ground-surface robotic payloads for route clearance or mine detection can be housed and autonomously deployed from the module - ideal for contested access scenarios or supporting dismounted units.
Pan-domain surveillance: Integrated HD/IR cameras, environmental sensors, and hosted UAVs offer autonomous, persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) across land, air, and maritime approaches.
Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) connectivity: AEMS’s built-in communications suite—including satellite and line-of-sight radios—enables persistent command-and-control, data relay, and integration in mesh networks when conventional means of communication are denied or unavailable.
Tactical logistics or electronic warfare payloads: The modular bay can be adapted for supply caching, decoying, SIGINT, or future power-beaming receivers for long-range energy support.
For defence and security operators who need a deployable, modular, autonomous platform that can host a range of payloads—AEMS is ready.
Whether it's extending surveillance into the grey zone, providing pop-up counter-UAS capability, supporting NATO logistics in disconnected terrain, or augmenting ISR and EW efforts—Ascent’s AEMS delivers capability without compromise.
From defending border regions in the Arctic, to supporting allied bases in high-risk regions, to augmenting disaster response in austere conditions, AEMS offers a rare combination of capabilities:
Automatic deployment and retraction with safe mode
Self-sustained power (smart solar PV + battery storage)
Autonomous operation using on-board sensors and edge AI
Hosted UAVs with charging, launching and retrieval capabilities
Optional ground surface rovers and other payloads
Secure resilient communication with remote digital twin interface
And as adversaries develop more advanced tools to disrupt infrastructure and communications, AEMS offers a physically present, fully autonomous capability that remains connected, aware, and operational—even when nothing else is.
Learn more at ascentsystems.ca
China could look to laser power transmission from lunar orbit to supply spacecraft on the moon and solve one of the big challenges for its lunar exploration plans.
Researchers have assessed the viability of using laser wireless power transmission (LWPT) from lunar orbiters to supply spacecraft left in the dark during the long, dark nighttimes on the surface of the moon. LWPT uses laser beams to transmit power wirelessly from orbiting satellites to surface receivers, converting light into electricity. The researchers recommend the development of key technologies, followed by on-orbit testing.
The moon being tidally locked to Earth results in extreme environmental conditions, with 14-day-long periods of darkness and extreme temperature fluctuations. While solar power can provide energy for spacecraft during the lunar days, the long nights bring challenges. Spacecraft typically need heat and a level of power to survive complete darkness and temperatures as low as -200 degrees Celsius (-328 degrees Fahrenheit).
As well as providing power during lunar nighttimes, LWPT could also support spacecraft operations in permanently shadowed craters, thought to hold water-ice, which can be used to make propellant or water or oxygen for astronauts.
Solutions such as radioisotope power sources are limited in power output and costly. Nuclear reactors, meanwhile, are ideal for large-scale bases, but bring concerns in the shape of safety and complexity.
LWPT is thus seen as a solution to some of the energy challenges faced during lunar exploration, offering flexibility and scalability in vacuum conditions, according to a paper published in the Journal of Deep Space Exploration (JDSE) in October 2024.
However, challenges such as efficiency, transmission ranges, visibility and operational challenges stand in the way of effectively utilizing LWPT.
“It is necessary to focus on the development of space high-power lasers and high-precision laser emission systems, and on-orbit technology verification should be carried out as soon as possible,” the authors conclude.
The paper was produced by authors from institutes including the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and Shandong Aerospace Electronics Technology Research Institute. The paper assesses various orbits to determine the optimum solutions for supplying areas such as equatorial regions and the poles.
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have made earlier studies into supplying spacecraft on planetary surfaces using lasers in the 1990s and 2000s.
LWPT could be very useful to China as it expands its lunar exploration ambitions. The country is planning the construction of a moon base, known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Precursor missions, Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8, are due to launch in 2026 and 2028 respectively. The multi-spacecraft missions will land at the lunar south pole, assessing the availability of resources and seeking out water-ice in shadowed craters, as well as testing in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies. Last year China completed the first sample return mission from the lunar far side with Chang’e-6.
The ILRS will be constructed in the 2030s using a super heavy-lift launch vehicle to establish power, communications and other infrastructure at the chosen site. “Energy supply will become one of the core technical issues in lunar exploration and lunar resource development and utilization,” the authors of the paper assert.
Developing systems such as LWPT could provide China with solutions to key challenges to sustainable lunar exploration and provide a level of leadership in this arena.
Meanwhile, China is also researching the possibilities of space-based solar power. That project envisions generating power in geostationary orbit and beaming it to Earth. The country plans to use its Tiangong space station to test key technologies required for space-based polar power. China is also researching challenges of developing kilometer-scale ultra-large spacecraft needed for the project.
Credit: spacenews.com
Happy 2025! Yes, it's been awhile - last time I posted in this blog was in 2023. A lot has happened since then in the world. But it was busy time for Ascent and for me.
After the successful demonstration at the final phase of the IDEaS Pop Up City contest at the Canadian Forces Base in Suffield Alberta, Ascent Systems Technologies was awarded a government contract to deliver Autonomous Environment Monitoring & Surveillance (AEMS) module to be tested by Transport Canada.
In the meantime:
In February 2024 I participated in the Canadian Trade Mission to the Caribbean organized by Decentralized Energy Canada. I have no doubt, the region, vulnerable to hurricanes, with its thousands of islands, many of which are with no infrastructure whatsoever, would benefit tremendously by having our autonomous environment monitoring modules (AEMS) deployed on some of the islands and, ideally, having a fleet of few ready to be deployed in case of emergency to provide communication and other critical services.
In May 2024 I attended CANSEC convention organized by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI).
In September 2024 I attended Canadian Emergency Preparedness and Climate Adaptation (CEPCA) in Ottawa. I am reflecting on it today as unprecedented wildfires rage in California and think of the role our AEMS technology could play in if not preventing but at least foreseeing it coming, had it been deployed.
Finally, in December I attended WiSEE 2024 - Conference on Wireless in Space and Extreme Environments at Daytona Beach, Florida. That was a very packed event, starting with the inspiring talk by Dr. Janet Cavandi, a former astronaut, who flew three times on the Space Shuttle, then in charge of training US astronauts, then working in Blue Origin, and now a space consultant. There were a number of very interesting sessions, including the IEEE LEO workshop, and a tour to the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. And, of course, I couldn't miss the opportunity to visit the Kennedy Space Centre.
