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.

A detector for image recording, in particular for an optoelectronic image recording system for a spacecraft, includes a carrier substrate and an optoelectronic element arranged on the carrier substrate. At least in one end region, the carrier substrate has at least one side surface running obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the carrier substrate. An optoelectronic image recording system for a spacecraft includes a carrier plate and such a detector. A spacecraft includes such a detector and/or such an optoelectronic image recording system.

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.

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.

A workflow deployment system comprising at least one computing device having a memory unit and a first communication unit, and a plurality of software agents, wherein each software agent is installable on an electronic apparatus of the plurality of electronic apparatuses, wherein each software agent exchanges data with the electronic apparatus, wherein the memory unit stores workflow data related to a workflow for performing a task, the workflow comprising at least a first workflow package for a first part of the task, wherein the computing device assigns the first workflow package to the first apparatus, and to provide workflow data related to the first workflow package to the software agent of the first apparatus, to receive a problem solution request from the software agent, to perform, upon reception of the request, a workflow modification process; and to provide the customized data to the software agent of the first apparatus.

A payload module (1) of a stratospheric drone including: a casing (10), and a piece of optical equipment (20) comprising an optical axis, mounted in the casing, wherein the module being includes a mirror (40) positioned on the optical axis facing the optical equipment, the mirror being swivelable about at least one axis, within an angular range, wherein the casing has a through-opening (11) shaped so that any light ray received or emitted by the optical equipment parallel to the optical axis and reflected by the mirror passes through the through-opening, over the entire angular range of the mirror.

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.

A satellite system operates at altitudes between 180 km and 350 km relying on vehicles including an engine to counteract atmospheric drag to maintain near-constant orbit dynamics. The system operates at altitudes that are substantially lower than traditional satellites, reducing size, weight and cost of the vehicles and their constituent subsystems such as optical imagers, radars, and radio links. The system can include a large number of lower cost, mass, and altitude vehicles, enabling revisit times substantially shorter than previous satellite systems. The vehicles spend their orbit at low altitude, high atmospheric density conditions that have heretofore been virtually impossible to consider for stable orbits. Short revisit times at low altitudes enable near-real time imaging at high resolution and low cost. At such altitudes, the system has no impact on space junk issues of traditional LEO orbits, and is self-cleaning in that space junk or disabled craft will de-orbit.

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.