Method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for estimating crop type and/or sowing date. In some embodiments, a historical crop growth time series and a plurality of simulated crop growth time series are determined, and the historical time series is matched against each simulated time series to determine an estimated crop type and/or sowing date. For example, one simulated time series may be determined for each crop type/sowing date combination within a set of one or more crop types and one or more sowing dates based on historical crop data. Each time series represents crop growth in an area of interest and comprises element(s) including crop-specific parameter(s), such as leaf area index (LAI). The historical time series may be determined based on remote sensor data. Each simulated time series may be determined using a crop growth simulation model and based on historical crop data, geospatial data, and weather data.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an observation control device, an observation system, a spacecraft, an observation control method, and an observation control program which enable stable observation. An observation control device 60 applicable to a plurality of sensor systems (#1 to #n) mounted on a spacecraft for the purpose of observation is provided with: a determination unit that determines whether each of the sensor systems (#1 to #n) is in a normal observable state; and an adjustment unit that, when at least one of the sensor systems (#1 to #n) is determined not to be in a normal observable state, adjusts the allocation state of a target searching and/or tracking function in sensors, among the sensor systems (#1 to #n), determined to be in the normal observable state.

The present invention provides systems and methods in the field of precision agriculture, particularly to systems and methods for precision irrigation that is based, among other factors, upon actual and forecasted water needs of a crop.

Disclosed is a method for task planning of a space information network based on resource interchange. The method includes: initializing basic parameters of the space information network; dividing a planning horizon into K time slots of equal length, and constructing a resource time-varying graph for the space information network; sampling a feasible resource combination space of each task, and obtaining a candidate resource combination set comprised of the resource combinations with independence greater than or equal to a threshold n; calculating a conflict relation between resource combinations, and constructing a resource combination conflict graph; obtaining a maximum independent set of the resource combination conflict graph to obtain a global planning result; and searching a neighborhood of the global planning result, and completing a local adjustment of a task planning scheme through the resource interchange, to complete the task planning based on characteristics of the resource interchange.

An airborne scanning instrument may include a scanning mirror configured to be carried by an airborne platform and having a major reflective surface to define a scanning path directed toward Earth. The airborne scanning instrument may include a shaft configured to rotate the scanning mirror about a shaft axis. The major reflective surface of the scanning mirror may be tilted at a first angle from the shaft axis, and the shaft axis may be tilted at a second angle relative to horizontal. The airborne scanning instrument may include a detector aligned with the scanning mirror to define a detector path therewith.

One variation of a method for identifying stressors in crops based on fluorescence of sensor plants includes: accessing a set of spectral images of a sensor plant sown in a crop, the sensor plant of a sensor plant type including a set of promoters and a set of reporters configured to signal a set of stressors present at the sensor plant, the set of promoters and set of reporters forming a set of promoter-reporter pairs; accessing a reporter model linking characteristics extracted from the set of spectral images of the sensor plant to the set of stressors based on signals generated by the set of promoter-reporter pairs in the sensor plant type; and identifying a first stressor, in the set of stressors, present at the sensor plant based on the reporter model and characteristics extracted from the set of spectral images.

Provided are an artificial satellite and a method of controlling the same. The artificial satellite includes a main body flying along an orbit of a planet, an optical payload arranged on the main body to photograph a ground surface of the planet, and a pair of solar cell panels rotatably arranged on both sides of the main body in a first direction, wherein the first direction and a flight direction of the main body form an acute angle with each other.

The focus of the present disclosure relates to a constellation of earth-observation satellites communicating with terrestrial access points through an intermediate satellite constellation of networked relay satellites. The network system includes one or more terrestrial access points, one or more earth observation satellites, and a satellite constellation including a plurality of communicatively coupled relay satellites. The earth observation satellites establish links with the relay satellites, which relay the communications from the earth observation satellites to the terrestrial access points. The earth observation satellite can transfer recorded information to one or more of the plurality of relay satellites. The communication from the earth observation satellite may be routed through multiple relay satellite in the network system to reach the terrestrial access point. Rather than transferring information from an earth observation satellite only when the earth observation satellite passes over the terrestrial access point, the network disclosed enables earth observation satellites to transfer information through the intermediate satellite constellation quickly and securely from nearly anywhere along its orbit around the Earth. Because the Earth observation satellite can route recorded information through the plurality of satellites in the intermediate satellite constellation to a terrestrial access point, instead of only when the earth observation satellite travels within range of a single terrestrial access point, the disclosed network system significantly extends the data transfer window while reducing monitoring delays.

A method for mediating an interaction between a control station and a remote system includes maintaining, at a command monitor, data characterizing an operation of the remote system in response to execution of commands at the remote system, receiving, at the command monitor, state information from the remote system, updating the data characterizing the operation of the remote system based on the received state information, receiving, at the command monitor, one or more commands sent from the control station, determining a predicted set of one or more outcomes that would result from execution of the one or more commands at the remote system based at least in part on the data characterizing the operation of the remote system, and preventing issuance of at least one command of the one or more commands at the remote system based on the predicted set of one or more outcomes.

An observation method comprises a step for calculating first predicted observation data for a first area of interest as a function of second observation data acquired by a second observation satellite in stationary orbit for the first area of interest and/or first observation data acquired by the first observation satellite for first observation areas located near the first area of interest, and reference observation data previously recorded in a database; and/or a step for calculating second predicted observation data, for a second area of interest as a function of first observation data acquired by the first observation satellite in drift orbit and reference observation data.