A Dual Camera System with AI-enabled Imaging Control for Earth Observation Applications: A Feasibility Study

Given a mission profile, using very similar components but different configurations can allow an Earth Observation satellite to acquire large swath observations, offering very high revisit frequencies, at the expense of lower spatial resolution or vice versa. In the feasibility study summarized herein, the objective is to have a wide-swath optical camera for the maximization of the coverage, combined with a high-resolution, narrow-swath camera to achieve the highest required spatial resolution and get the best possible image of an Area-of-Interest (AoI), with the help of on-board AI decision making. The performed analysis concludes with a case study demonstration on active fire detection.