Sławosz returned, but our engineers' device remained. This isn't the end of Poland's space adventure.

LeopardISS is a data processing unit that enables testing machine learning algorithms without the need to build and launch a separate satellite. The solution was entirely designed and built by KP Labs engineers from Gliwice , Poland, for flexible and repeatable AI experiments conducted in space. The unit builds on KP Labs' previous experience with the Intuition-1 satellite, which tested AI algorithms in space.

The device was delivered aboard the International Space Station as part of the SpaceX CRS-32 resupply mission in late April – two months before Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski , the first Polish astronaut in 47 years, arrived aboard the station. After the Pole's arrival, the unit was integrated with the ICE Cubes platform located on the European Columbus module. Managed by Space Applications Services , this research platform provides standardized access to the station for scientific and technological experiments. It provides power, data transmission, and real-time communication with ground teams , enabling continuous monitoring and interaction with the system.

Thirteen experiments are part of the Polish mission. LeopardISS is one of them.

The first task of LeopardISS was to validate algorithms supporting autonomous 3D terrain mapping for future planetary rover missions . This software allows exploration robots operating on the surface of the Moon or Mars to independently interpret their surroundings, without the need for constant supervision from operators on Earth. These algorithms were developed, optimized, and implemented on the platform, enabling their verification in real orbital conditions. Scientists and students from Poznań University of Technology, Politechnika Innowacje, and the recently opened ESA Phi-lab Poland were responsible for the project.

LeopardISS is one of thirteen experiments being carried out as part of IGNIS, the first Polish science and technology mission to the International Space Station. The mission aims to provide Polish scientific institutions and companies with access to the station's infrastructure.

In the next phase of the LeopardISS project, additional research teams and companies will conduct their own experiments, which is expected to increase the availability of in-orbit testing of space technologies and facilitate the acquisition of flight experience. Scientists from ESA Phi-Lab Poland, meanwhile, plan to further refine the algorithms developed by Poznań-based scientists and students (including in the university's lunar yard), and ultimately participate in a rover mission to the Moon .