Tag: Earth observation
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Marble Sat-1 to Fly Laser Downlink Terminal on First Mission
High-resolution Earth observation payloads generate large data volumes, and operators face throughput constraints when downlinking via conventional radio-frequency channels, which typically operate between 1 and 2 Gbps. Optical communications bypass these spectral limitations using narrow, interception-resistant optical beams that operate outside international radio spectrum licensing regimes. The deployment operationalizes concepts outlined by Odysseus Space on…
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China’s Ceres-1S Launches First Wuyang Constellation Satellite From Sea (Video)
China launched the first satellite of its domestically developed Wuyang low-inclination remote-sensing constellation at 11:39 a.m. Beijing time on Oct. 21, 2026. The spacecraft, Xiguang-4 01, lifted off aboard a Ceres-1S Y8 rocket from a mobile platform in the Yellow Sea off Rizhao, Shandong province, and entered a 541-kilometer low Earth orbit. The mission marks…
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From Sending Data to Delivering Answers: How AI Lets Satellites Process Observations in Orbit
A wildfire breaks out, and a satellite hundreds of kilometers above Earth captures a clear view of the blaze. Under the conventional workflow, the imagery must wait for a ground-station contact window, be downloaded and processed at a data center, and finally reach the incident commander. That process can take days. By then, the fire…
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How to Validate Satellite-Based Forest Biomass Estimates
A forest biomass map can show convincing patterns without providing reliable estimates for a particular project. Before using it to assess forest resources or support carbon monitoring, the essential question is whether its predictions agree with independent reference data at the scale and date that matter. Validation requires more than extracting map values at forest…
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Why Satellite Surface Temperature Differs from Air Temperature
A satellite temperature map can show a hot industrial district while a nearby weather station reports a much lower temperature. Both observations may be correct. The satellite estimates the temperature of visible surfaces, while the station measures the air around its sensor. These measurements describe different parts of the urban environment and should answer different…
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Why Can 12 Networked Satellites Do More Than 12 Working Alone?
Intuitively, 12 identical satellites should offer 12 times the computing power of one. But the value of connecting the first 12 satellites in Zhejiang Lab’s Three-Body Computing Constellation goes beyond adding up their processors. What creates that extra value? This article examines three sources of collaborative capability—and the costs that come with them. 1. Scheduling:…
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How Does Satellite Imagery Become Intelligence?
Think of a satellite as a courier collecting packages. But what happens after collection? Between a satellite pressing its “shutter” and a wildfire alert, flood map or vessel track appearing on your phone, how many steps does the data go through? Let’s unpack the entire data pipeline. The Traditional Pipeline: Shipping Every Ingredient Back to…
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Satellite Revisit Time vs. Actual Monitoring Frequency
A satellite may be able to revisit your site every few days, yet the interval between usable images can be much longer. Clouds, acquisition schedules, viewing conditions and delivery requirements all affect when a new observation becomes useful. For monitoring projects, the key question is not simply how often a satellite can see the target,…
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The In-Orbit Remote Sensing Pipeline
Key Insight An in-orbit processing pipeline essentially takes a ground-based data center apart and fits its functions inside a satellite. Each stage uses the computing hardware best suited to its task: FPGAs for rule-based processing, NPUs for AI inference, and CPUs for scheduling. Models that are “good enough” trade complexity for real-time performance. To assess…
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Can Optical Satellites Keep Tracking Floods When Clouds Block the View?
In brief: Landsat and Sentinel-2 can capture flood details well, but they are most vulnerable to the very condition that often accompanies major flooding: cloud cover. Rather than trying to generate a visually plausible cloud-free optical image, this study directly reconstructs whether the surface beneath the clouds is water or non-water. The researchers combined Harmonized…