New developments on a groundbreaking smart sensing concept, which continually scans and identifies potential features of interest on Earth, marks a significant step forward in the evolution of intelligent satellite systems.
- Dynamic Targeting aims to enhance Earth Observation capabilities through real-time data analysis and autonomous satellite operations.
The associated technology has wide-ranging applications, including cloud avoidance during imaging, storm tracking and detecting rare science events.
“Our Dynamic Targeting experiments represent a groundbreaking shift in how we approach Earth Observation,” said Fintan Buckley, Ubotica CEO.
Dublin, November 27 – NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Irish Space AI company Ubotica have jointly published a new research paper revealing the latest developments on Dynamic Targeting, as part of their ongoing collaboration.
The paper describes the concept and engineering that are laying the foundation for a revolutionary in-orbit live demonstration of Dynamic Targeting aboard Ubotica’s CogniSAT-6 satellite, set for early 2025.
The newly published paper was presented last week at the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Automation for Space in Brisbane, Australia. It describes how Dynamic Targeting will enable spacecraft to autonomously acquire and analyse data in real-time in order to enhance the value of subsequent observations, drastically improving the quality and timeliness of Earth Observations for better real-time risk detection and response – the key focus in the collaboration.
Commenting on the research findings, Fintan Buckley, CEO at Ubotica, said: “Dynamic Targeting represents a shift in how we approach Earth Observation. The analysis in the research paper underscores the transformative potential of Dynamic Targeting in the field of Earth Observation. Our collaboration with NASA JPL explores innovative methods that enable satellites to react to environmental changes instantaneously, providing crucial insights to decision-makers on the ground.”
Dynamic Targeting is a cutting-edge operating paradigm that is part of NASA’s New Observing Strategies (NOS) approach for Earth Observation, poised to revolutionise the industry across satellites and constellations.
It uses a lookahead sensor to continuously scan the Earth’s surface and detect potential features of interest, such as a wildfire, volcanic hotspot or covert marine vessel. Once an AI model identifies a potential risk, the system autonomously reorients the satellite for the best follow-up observation angle, capturing a detailed image confirming the presence of a potential risk, and immediately transmitting critical insights via real-time inter-satellite communication.
Using lookahead imagery and dynamic targeting could unlock satellite capabilities with wide ranging applications, including cloud avoidance, storm tracking and detecting rare science events.
In-flight experiments on the CogniSAT-6 satellite
Ubotica’s CogniSAT-6 (CS-6 ) satellite mission, launched in partnership with Open Cosmos in March 2024, will execute the Dynamic Targeting solution in orbit in early 2025.
Initial in-orbit and on-ground experiments have already shown that the satellite can achieve a lookahead lead time of 60 to 90 seconds that enables re-imaging the target more closely at nadir. The 2025 demonstrations will showcase this advanced autonomous capability in detecting and responding to environmental phenomena, enhancing the value and timeliness of satellite data collection, marking a significant leap in the evolution of intelligent satellite systems.