ESA Φ-lab synergises with SmartSat CRC for Earth observation advancements

ESA Φ-lab, a recognised entity at the forefront of Earth observation (EO), and SmartSat CRC, Australia’s leading space research centre, promoted an exchange initiative for researchers and PhD students to develop new onboard processing and synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-related technologies, and flood forecasting datasets.

ESA Φ-lab, a world-class innovation centre with a notorious record in EO, established a three-month exchange initiative with SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat CRC), a broad consortium that leads the Australian space research sector. Along with its commitment to pioneering research in AI4EO, Φ-lab is dedicated to other educational initiatives such as the Young Graduate Traineeships, fostering the development of cutting-edge EO activities.

Following the recently signed agreement between Φ-lab and SmartSat, which rests on the success of the Φsat-1 ESA mission and the integration of HyperScout-2 (an instrument partially supported by Φ-lab) into the South Australian Kanyini satellite, a visiting researcher from Φ-lab and two SmartSat-affiliated PhD students joined the exchange enterprise. This emerged as an opportunity for European and Australian researchers to increase knowledge sharing and develop space solutions, integrating existing AI technologies and innovative research.

One of the participants was Nermine Hendy, a PhD student from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. During her stay at Φ-lab, Nermine worked on a machine-learning approach capable of detecting radio frequency interference in Sentinel-1 SAR raw data and subsequently mitigating it. The approach was designed for onboard implementation to ensure a quicker, more efficient performance. “This experience was incredibly rewarding. I had the unique opportunity to collaborate closely with industrial teams and professional researchers, gaining invaluable insights into real-world applications of satellite technology and contributing to significant projects,” Hendy comments. “The supportive environment at Φ-lab made this internship a truly memorable and transformative period in my academic and professional journey.”

While at Φ-lab, Brandon Victor, a PhD student from the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology at La Trobe University, worked on producing a global flood forecasting dataset. The goal was to exploit existing datasets and models that map a flooding event after its occurrence and turn them into challenge datasets for flooding prediction. Brandon says: “I truly enjoyed my stay. I received a very warm welcome from the staff and made some friends along the way. Φ-lab has a wonderful energy, where everyone is trying to solve big challenges, and being a part of it was remarkable. They are doing research for the public benefit, and I appreciate that in a research lab.”

Both PhD students were supervised by Nicolas Longépé, Earth observation data scientist at Φ-lab: “It was a pleasure to have these students working with us and I look forward to seeing the ideas this enterprise will inspire. As we face climate change and increased natural hazards, EO technologies have an immense potential to improve life on Earth. Bringing together great scientific minds will stimulate an advance in space research and foster a stronger international cooperation between Europe and Australia.”

Roberto Del Prete, a visiting researcher at Φ-lab, worked for the Kanyini mission during his time at SmartSat premises in Adelaide, Australia. As the expert in EO, Roberto created a set of comprehensive documentation to help SmartSat partners understand data products and derivatives from unprocessed – Level 0 – data. Roberto further examined quality control issues within data processing sequences, and together with the Kanyini team developed software for executing onboard AI based on Φsat-2 and other CubeSat standards.

“My three-month stay in Adelaide with SmartSat, working on the Kanyini mission, was an immensely rewarding experience. I am deeply grateful to all SmartSat staff for their unwavering support, guidance, and hospitality. The warmth and friendliness of the Australian culture have made my time there even more special. This opportunity has not only enriched my technical knowledge and expertise but also contributed significantly to my personal growth,” comments Roberto.

This synergistic endeavour yielded further collaborations with SmartSat partners – the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide, and the Queensland University of Technology – to develop and deploy specific solutions for the Kanyini mission. The Kanyini satellite is scheduled to be launched in July 2024. Φ-lab and SmartSat will continue joining efforts to create a library of interchangeable applications between different satellites. This will allow researchers to tip and cue for facilitated information collection and to demonstrate new swarm capabilities.

Giuseppe Borghi, Head of ESA Φ-lab Division, states that “ESA and Australia have been allies in space for decades. This exchange initiative reflects Φ-lab’s dedication to accelerating the future of EO technologies through unprecedented research, together with SmartSat’s expertise. I look forward to seeing the end products of this fruitful collaboration.”

To know more: Φ-lab, SmartSat CRC

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