Φsat-2 satellite: how artificial intelligence guides the Esa mission to observe the Earth

From monitoring marine ecosystems to fighting fires via a range of other activities in which artificial intelligence is used to observe the earth in an innovative way. All thanks to Esa's Φsat-2 satellite that took off on a Falcon 9 rocket via Exolaunch from the Vandenberg space base in California on 16 August. An innovative fact that, as Simonetta Cheli, dDirector of Esa's Earth Observation Programmes, points out, ushers in a new era.

"We are excited to launch Φsat-2, which will demonstrate the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence in Earth observation," he announces. "This mission ushers in a new era of useful information we receive from space, and will allow us to monitor our planet more intelligently and efficiently. The new satellite, which is small in size (22 x 10 x 33 centimetres), is equipped with a state-of-the-art multispectral camera and a powerful computer with artificial intelligence that analyses and processes images while in orbit.

"With six artificial intelligence applications running on board," emphasise the ESA, "the satellite is designed to transform images into maps, detect clouds in images, classify them and provide information on their distribution, detect and classify vessels, compress images on board to reconstruct them on the ground by reducing download time, detect anomalies in marine ecosystems and detect fires. Not only that, 'Φsat-2 will open a new era of useful information from space to demonstrate the ability to implement different applications and Ia functions. All of the activities planned to achieve these goals will be carried out in orbit,' continue the Esa. 'In addition, it will allow customised artificial intelligence applications to be developed, installed and operated on the satellite, even when it is in orbit. This will allow Φsat-2 to adapt to changing needs, maximising its value to scientists, companies and governments'.

Also in the pipeline is ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite, 'a prototype mission that aims to improve weather forecasting in the Arctic, a region that currently lacks accurate data for short-term forecasting'. The satellite will exploit data from existing Arctic monitoring satellites and provide accurate, short-term weather forecasts for the Arctic region. Equipped with a 19-channel cross-scanning microwave radiometer, it will 'provide high-resolution readings of atmospheric humidity and temperature in all weather conditions'. "The pioneering Arctic Weather Satellite," she emphasises, "will demonstrate how more frequent data can improve weather forecasting for the Arctic region, where data scarcity has long been a challenge. This mission demonstrates our commitment to advancing space technology quickly and efficiently: we went from contract award to completion in just 36 months."