Who tells satellites where to take pictures? Increasingly, it’ll be robots, Maxar says
Automated scans of low-res imagery will cue high-res passes, while simulations will help manage ever-growing queues for service.
Lauren C. Williams | October 30, 2024
Industry Space AI & Autonomy C4ISR
Maxar’s chief product officer Peter Wilczynski, who joined the space-imagery company over the summer, is spearheading an effort to build navigation systems that use 3D maps instead of GPS. But the Palantir alum is also working to develop systems to better manage the ever-growing queues for his company’s orbital-imagery services. He foresees automated tools that track changes captured by relatively low-resolution imagery to cue passes by Maxar's higher-resolution satellites.
This interview has been edited for length.
D1: What are some areas you want to explore, especially as the Defense Department looks to bring more commercial space companies into the fold?
Wilczynski: Our historical strength is really in foundational mapping. When we think about more operational missions, I think a lot about how we can…cut down the latency of our space-to-ground and ground-to-space communication. And as one of the only owner-operator-builder [satellite] companies in the world [that] actually designs, launches, and then owns and operates the satellite constellation, we have a lot of potential for integrating across the space and ground segments to really cut down the latency. And so that's a big focus for us.
So, for example, if you’re monitoring ships in the South China Sea, you’re trying to reduce the time needed to process and analyze that data?
I think that's exactly right. And, you know, I also think a lot about not just looking at the proximate analytic targets, so like a vessel that's moving, but actually, can you look backwards in the chain of events that would cause the vessel to move? So modeling site networks and understanding sort of how activity at one site could correlate with future activity at another site.
https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2024/10/who-tells-satellites-where-take-pictures-increasingly-itll-be-robots-maxar-says/400679/?oref=d1-category-lander-river
