Footwear startup backed by Reebok co-founder Joe Foster Syntilay has partnered with OrbitsEdge, a company that supports AI and blockchain applications, and Copernic Space, which offers digital marketplaces for space assets, to design a shoe in orbit.

The project will use AI on a satellite, which is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2026.

The satellite will be powered by solar energy and batteries. It will include a computer to automate the shoe design process.

This initiative aims to investigate the feasibility of conducting AI and blockchain operations in space. Such operations may decrease the environmental impact of these activities on Earth.

OrbitsEdge CEO Rick Ward said that the mission seeks to relocate carbon-intensive industries off-planet. This effort aims to alleviate environmental stress on Earth.

Syntilay plans to use the AI-generated design to create 3D shoe models that incorporate various patterns, textures, and shading.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ In-space manufacturing has evolved from science experiment to commercial opportunity

The footwear company’s plan builds on two decades of institutional investment in space-based production capabilities.

NASA has invested over $60 million in more than 20 In-Space Production Applications aimed at demonstrating advanced materials manufacturing in microgravity 1.

The International Space Station has served as a testbed for manufacturing experiments since its inception, with significant breakthroughs in materials science that have commercial applications on Earth 2.

This shift from government-led research to commercial applications reflects a broader trend of businesses exploring economic opportunities in space, with decreasing launch costs making such ventures more viable.

The footwear design project represents a progression from previous space manufacturing experiments that have demonstrated unique material properties achievable only in microgravity.

2️⃣ Environmental claims about space-based computing require rigorous analysis

The article’s central claim that moving AI and blockchain to space could reduce environmental impact merits careful examination.