Earth Observation Constellation Methodology & Applications

• US 20140027576A1
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Planet Labs Inc. (Planet Labs PBC)
• Original Assignee: Planet Labs Inc. (Planet Labs PBC)
• Inventors: Boshuizen, Christopher, Marshall, William, Mason, James, Schingler, Robert Jr.
• Application Number:
  US13/949,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20140027576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/158.6
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1028 using optical means for mapping, surveying or detection, e.g. of intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/245 Attitude control algorithms for spacecraft attitude control

Abstract

The focus of this invention pertains to the methodology behind launching line-scanning satellite constellations that can image an entire planet such as the Earth at high temporal cadence (less than a week), at high spatial resolution (less than 10 m). Utilizing simple control and operation, our invention captures images of an entire planet in an effective and distributed manner. Additional benefits are realized by taking advantage of the distributed onboard storage and computing abilities of such a constellation to optimize the data collected, system latency, and data downlinked.

Claims

1. A system for use in spatial imaging of planetary bodies through a series of steps comprising;

a) implementation into space a network of, ranging from a singular to plural, constellation of orbital elements;

b) enabling said constellation of orbital elements, through an algorithmic calculated means, to jointly achieve a desired revisit rate and spatial coverage;

c) controlling said constellation through a remote transmission means;

3. The system of claim 1 wherein there is further included the step of acquiring the sensed data and the absolute geophysical coordinates simultaneously.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein additional orbital elements are initially included in, or later added to, the constellation configuration to enhance system redundancy and performance.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein all or some of the orbital elements have the on-board ability to take the difference between their sensed data and previous data and/or create a new dataset from computed from data including that collected.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the difference between new and prior sensed data is used to further compress the data downlinked to the ground.

7. A system of claim 5 wherein the difference between new and prior sensed data is used to effect in some way an onboard process, such as data collection, data storage, or downlinking.

8. A system of claim 1 wherein the total number of types of sensors in the constellation exceeds the number of types of sensors on any one given orbital element.

9. A system of claim 1 wherein all or some of the orbital elements have onboard storage, where sensed data is stored for a period of time, and then the downlink priority is at least partially determined by data later uplinked to the orbital elements.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the orbital elements downlink downsampled data, compressed data, or metadata to assist in the determination of the downlink priority.

2. The system of claim 2 wherein said orbital element is positioned in dynamic position relative to of said planetary body in such a manner that its sensor(s) may collect data through a computational means, regarding the planetary body it orbits