Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data Structure

There are more than 8000 traditional and small/microsatellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and many of these are civilian and commercial satellites for remote sensing and space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Collection planning is the first step in the tasking, collection, p...

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Main Authors: Jeff Secker, Katerina Biron, Dany Dessureault, Pierre Lamontagne, Rodney Rear
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10945445/
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author Jeff Secker
Katerina Biron
Dany Dessureault
Pierre Lamontagne
Rodney Rear
author_facet Jeff Secker
Katerina Biron
Dany Dessureault
Pierre Lamontagne
Rodney Rear
author_sort Jeff Secker
collection DOAJ
description There are more than 8000 traditional and small/microsatellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and many of these are civilian and commercial satellites for remote sensing and space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Collection planning is the first step in the tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TCPED) process and is required to choose the collection assets (satellites), instrument modes, and orbital passes that best match the collection task. Collection planning requires understanding and experience with: requirements; satellite and instrument phenomenologies, and capabilities; collection strategies; and data processing and exploitation methodologies. Given this, it is challenging for collection managers to make the best use of available satellites in the time available, and they would benefit from automation in the collection planning processes and systems. This article defines and describes collection planning terminology, notation, and processes. It defines new metrics for assessing the temporal coverage (completeness and density of collection opportunities along the time axis), and it describes six semiautomated tools and their underlying algorithms. These can be used by a collection manager to automate elements of the collection planning process, and they can be used for machine-to-machine communication using web services, thereby decreasing the total time required. This machine-to-machine communication permits the collection planning process to be completed in seconds instead of minutes or hours, time which can be critical for dynamic tasking such as tip and cue or last-minute retasking situations.
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publishDate 2025-01-01
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spelling doaj-art-a3d5ce163bf243beb76cfd97d779724c2025-08-20T03:18:13ZengIEEEIEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing1939-14042151-15352025-01-01189764979710.1109/JSTARS.2025.355592510945445Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data StructureJeff Secker0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2796-8170Katerina Biron1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5399-5679Dany Dessureault2Pierre Lamontagne3Rodney Rear4https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1644-2864Defence R&D Canada, Ottawa Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, CanadaDefence R&D Canada, Ottawa Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, CanadaRecherche et Développement Pour la Défense Canada, Centre de Recherches de Valcartier, Québec City, QC, CanadaDefence R&D Canada, Ottawa Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, CanadaMDA Space, Richmond, BC, CanadaThere are more than 8000 traditional and small/microsatellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and many of these are civilian and commercial satellites for remote sensing and space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Collection planning is the first step in the tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TCPED) process and is required to choose the collection assets (satellites), instrument modes, and orbital passes that best match the collection task. Collection planning requires understanding and experience with: requirements; satellite and instrument phenomenologies, and capabilities; collection strategies; and data processing and exploitation methodologies. Given this, it is challenging for collection managers to make the best use of available satellites in the time available, and they would benefit from automation in the collection planning processes and systems. This article defines and describes collection planning terminology, notation, and processes. It defines new metrics for assessing the temporal coverage (completeness and density of collection opportunities along the time axis), and it describes six semiautomated tools and their underlying algorithms. These can be used by a collection manager to automate elements of the collection planning process, and they can be used for machine-to-machine communication using web services, thereby decreasing the total time required. This machine-to-machine communication permits the collection planning process to be completed in seconds instead of minutes or hours, time which can be critical for dynamic tasking such as tip and cue or last-minute retasking situations.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10945445/Collection managercollection planningcommercial satellite imagery (CSI)hybrid space architecture (HSA)intelligencesurveillance
spellingShingle Jeff Secker
Katerina Biron
Dany Dessureault
Pierre Lamontagne
Rodney Rear
Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data Structure
IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing
Collection manager
collection planning
commercial satellite imagery (CSI)
hybrid space architecture (HSA)
intelligence
surveillance
title Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data Structure
title_full Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data Structure
title_fullStr Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data Structure
title_full_unstemmed Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data Structure
title_short Automated Collection Planning for Civilian and Commercial Satellite Imagery, and Definition and Exploitation of the Collection Asset Specification Data Structure
title_sort automated collection planning for civilian and commercial satellite imagery and definition and exploitation of the collection asset specification data structure
topic Collection manager
collection planning
commercial satellite imagery (CSI)
hybrid space architecture (HSA)
intelligence
surveillance
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10945445/
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