Technologies: Earth observation & GeoAI

Technologies

The technologies behind earth observation & GeoAI.

Every technology this platform builds with, layer by layer, from the open taxonomy. Marked in red: what is moving now, each traced to its source.

Plan with us Architecture

Areas · 4 Technologies · 132 Industries · 16

01The layered map

Layer by layer, from the open taxonomy.

Each domain this platform draws on, with its layers and the technologies in each. Open a layer for what each technology does and the standard behind it.

Remote sensing and Earth observation

Every platform, sensor, processing level and ground-segment step that turns remote measurements of the Earth into calibrated, analysis-ready evidence for a site, a region or a network.

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Platforms and orbits

Technologies · 8 · Frontier · 1

Geostationary imagers and sounders
Low Earth orbit sun-synchronous missions
Small satellite constellations
High-altitude platform stations (HAPS)
Crewed survey aircraft
Drones and remotely piloted aircraft
Tethered aerostats and balloon soundings
Ground-based remote sensing

Optical, spectral and thermal sensors

Technologies · 8 · Frontier · 1

Panchromatic and very high resolution optical
Multispectral imagers
Hyperspectral imaging spectrometers
Thermal infrared imagers
Stereo, tri-stereo and video capture
Ocean colour and aquatic reflectance
Low-light and night-time imaging
Solar-induced fluorescence

Radar, lidar and microwave sensors

Technologies · 10 · Frontier · 1

Synthetic aperture radar by band (P, L, S, C, X, Ku, Ka)
Interferometric SAR (InSAR)
Polarimetric SAR (PolSAR)
Ocean radar backscatter and scatterometry
Radar altimetry
Lidar (airborne, drone and spaceborne)
Passive microwave radiometry
GNSS radio occultation
GNSS reflectometry
Atmospheric sounders and composition instruments

Processing levels and analysis-ready data

Technologies · 9

Level 0: raw instrument data
Level 1: calibrated and geolocated
Level 2: geophysical variables
Levels 3 and 4: gridded, composited and modelled
CEOS analysis-ready data
Atmospheric, terrain and radiometric terrain correction
Cloud, shadow and quality masking
Onboard and ground compression
Product metadata and lineage

Calibration and validation

Technologies · 8

Pre-flight and onboard calibration
Vicarious calibration and test sites
Inter-calibration of satellite instruments
Fiducial reference measurements
SAR calibration targets
Geometric accuracy and ground control
Product validation stages
In situ match-up networks

Tasking, ground segment and access

Technologies · 9 · Frontier · 1

Tasking, mission planning and revisit analysis
Orbit and conjunction data
Ground stations and downlink
Space link extension and station networking
Direct broadcast and edge processing
Optical ground stations
Ground segment security
Licensing and remote sensing law
Disaster activation and rapid mapping

Data cubes, analysis and archives

Technologies · 7

EO data cubes
Imagery catalogues
Time-series analysis
Essential climate, ocean and biodiversity variables
Fusion with in situ data and models
Long-term archive and preservation
Commercial and open data licensing

Frontier and research

Technologies · 8 · Frontier · 8

Onboard AI and in-orbit processing
Optical inter-satellite links and data relay
High-revisit SAR and high-resolution thermal constellations
Imaging spectroscopy constellations
Greenhouse gas point-source detection
EO foundation models and embeddings
Quantum and cold-atom gravimetry
Digital twins of the Earth

GIS, maps and GeoAI

The reference frames, formats, services, analysis methods, machine learning and 3D models that turn observations into located, queryable and decision-ready geographic information.

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