--- title: "ESA satellite recognizes voice command from Earth to run Doom for the first time" description: "The European Space Agency's OPS-SAT satellite has for the first time recognized a voice command from Earth and run the shooter game Doom on board. The Estonian company Tanagra Space reported on the PRETTY DOOMed experiment." date: 2026-11-10T18:39:20.547Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/esa-satellite-recognizes-voice-command-to-run-doom tags: [esa, ops-sat, doom, voice-recognition, space, id-software, tanagra-space] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # ESA satellite recognizes voice command from Earth to run Doom for the first time ![Graphic art featuring the Doom Slayer fighting a demon against the backdrop of space and stars](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/sputnik-esa-raspoznal-golos-s-zemli-i-zapustil-doom/sputnik-esa-raspoznal-golos-s-zemli-i-zapustil-doom-1.webp) ## Key Points - The ESA OPS-SAT (PRETTY) satellite recognized a voice command from Earth for the first time and launched the shooter Doom. - The command was transmitted on July 27 by LA4O club radio amateurs; a sixth attempt with a synthetic voice was also successful. - A 27 MB onboard speech model decoded the signal and confirmed the command, after which the unit sent a text 'postcard'. - The transmission used 1296 MHz (narrowband FM, ~80 W) with an Icom IC-9700 transceiver and Wimo antenna (15.1 dBi). The story of running the legendary shooter Doom by American studio id Software on board a European Space Agency (ESA) satellite has taken an unexpected turn. While in 2023, a team of programmers led by Icelandic developer Ólafur Waage confined themselves to running the game on the OPS-SAT satellite and producing a text report—since the device lacks a screen—this summer the experiment reached a new level: Doom was launched via a voice command transmitted from Earth. Estonian company Tanagra Space reported on the successful project dubbed PRETTY DOOMed. ### From text report to voice command The OPS-SAT satellite, also known by the acronym PRETTY (Passive REflecTomeTry and dosimetrY), was not originally designed for speech recognition. The corresponding software was uploaded on board specifically for the experiment. According to representatives of Tanagra Space, the test became the first successful case where an ESA device could recognize and execute a voice command. Doom was chosen for the "execution" because of the game's portability and predetermined aspects. ### How the command sounded and what the satellite "heard" Radio enthusiasts from the LA4O club of the Norwegian Radio Relay League transmitted the command to launch Doom on their seventh attempt on July 27. The sixth attempt was also successful, but it used a synthesized voice rather than a live one. The original phrase sounded like: "LIMA ALFA FOUR OSCAR, PRETTY PLAY DOOM DOOM DOOM, PRETTY PLAY DOOM DOOM DOOM." The onboard system decoded it slightly differently: "AND FAR BRIEFLY PLAYING DOOM STEAM DOOM PRECIPATED." Nevertheless, the mere mention of Doom was enough for the device to understand the task: a 27 MB speech model decoded the signal, the algorithm confirmed the command, and the satellite sent a "postcard" to Earth with details of the launch. ### Technical transmission details The signal was broadcast in a narrowband frequency-modulated mode at 1296 MHz with an output power of about 80 W. An Icom IC-9700 transceiver and a Wimo helical antenna with a gain of 15.1 dBi were used for the transmission. Despite the satellite having no display, the launch result was captured and transmitted as a text report, continuing the tradition of previous Doom-in-space experiments. ### Significance of the experiment The PRETTY DOOMed project demonstrates that even a specialized scientific device not intended for speech processing is capable of executing voice commands after the corresponding software is uploaded. For enthusiasts and researchers, this confirms the possibility of flexible onboard system upgrades and opens up additional interaction scenarios with spacecraft. Just as in 2023, the result was a text report rather than a visual one—but now with a key difference: the command was given by a human, not a script. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Спутник ESA впервые распознал голос с Земли — команду использовали для запуска Doom](https://3dnews.ru/1151105) - Source: details of the PRETTY DOOMed experiment, command, frequency, equipment, July 27, 7th attempt. - [Спутник ESA впервые распознал голос с Земли — команду использовали для запуска Doom](https://3dnews.ru/1151105/sputnik-esa-vpervie-raspoznal-golos-s-zemli-komandu-ispolzovali-dlya-zapuska-doom) - Duplicate link to the same material; the content matches. - [Спутник ESA впервые распознал голосовую команду с Земли и запустил Doom на борту](https://www.computerra.ru/373275/sputnik-esa-raspoznal-golosovuyu-komandu-s-zemli-i-zapustil-doom-na-bortu/) - Independent confirmation: OPS-SAT PRETTY executed the voice command, the onboard system recognized the speech and launched the game. ## FAQ ### What is PRETTY and how is it related to the OPS-SAT satellite? PRETTY (Passive REflecTomeTry and dosimetrY) is the name/acronym used for the ESA's OPS-SAT satellite, on board which the voice command experiment was conducted. ### Who transmitted the voice command and when? The command was transmitted by radio amateurs from the LA4O club of the Norwegian Radio Relay League; a successful transmission with a live voice took place on July 27 on the seventh attempt. ### Had the satellite recognized a voice before this experiment? No, the device was not originally intended for speech recognition; the corresponding software was uploaded specifically for the PRETTY DOOMed project. ### What technical parameters were used for the transmission? The signal was transmitted in narrowband frequency-modulated mode at 1296 MHz with an output power of about 80 W, using an Icom IC-9700 transceiver and a Wimo helical antenna with 15.1 dBi gain.