UrtheCast Corporation

Published purpose

A new set of six Earth-observation satellites will provide a very precise snapshot of most of Earth's surface on a daily basis so that changes can be tracked over time. The data must be accurately calibrated, which is normally a time-consuming, manual task. This project will provide three system components to cost-effectively automate this process. One system will automatically calibrate the many images produced by the six satellites. A validation system will assess the images as they are transmitted to Earth. An integration system will improve the quality of the images. This project will provide the ability to detect changes on Earth over time that can be used to identify crop damage, improve environmental monitoring, manage irrigation, and increase crop yields. It will also establish a world-class team of Canadian experts in optical systems, space-based imaging, and high-throughput software development.