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Results of the First Earth Observation Use Case Ideas Competitionfor the Private Sector

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The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC — Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya) coordinates the Earth Observation Use Case Ideas Competition for the Private Sector. This initiative is framed within the NewSpace Strategy of Catalonia promoted by the Government of Catalonia with the participation of the IEEC, the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) and the i2CAT Foundation. 

The goal of this competition is to obtain innovative proposals for Earth Observation use cases that the NewSpace ecosystem can offer to the Catalan private business sector. 

This article showcases the main results from the first edition. 

Among other requirements, the competition requested that all cases presented be based on satellite data, include data from the ‘Menut’ nanosatellite—the second satellite mission, and the first of Earth Observation, of the NewSpace Strategy—as a demonstrator, be applicable to the Catalan territory and include the active participation of the end user. 

The companies and proposals selected were: 

  • isardSAT with the project MARE: drought monitoring with high spatial resolution.
  • SPASCAT with the project MOT: Module for Earth Observation.

The two chosen use cases will serve to promote the use of satellite data and highlight the benefits companies can obtain by incorporating data from ‘Menut’ into their operations. Both cases were awarded a financial prize of 2,500 euros and were eligible for a subsequent service contract of 47,500 euros each. 

Discover MARE! A project to optimize water management using satellite technology

Earth Observation is a key tool in sectors such as agriculture, providing accurate information to optimize processes and support data-driven decision-making. 

The MARE project, developed by the company isardSAT, has created an innovative methodology using satellite data to deliver a comprehensive view of drought conditions and crop water needs. The project has focused on the irrigation communities of Aigües Segarra-Garrigues and Terra Alta, with the aim of optimizing agricultural irrigation and ensuring efficient water resource management. 

Using data collected since 2015 by NASA’s SMAP and Landsat satellites, and new algorithms developed by isardSAT, MARE has created maps showing a new drought index and weekly estimates of soil moisture in agricultural areas. 

These maps, with an innovative resolution of 100 meters, make it possible to anticipate water availability for crops and assess soil moisture levels compared to the 10-year historical average (to determine whether it is drier or wetter), on a weekly basis. This information is essential for maximizing water use efficiency and supporting evidence-based decision-making. 

Enhanced resolution thanks to Menut

One of the project’s highlights has been the integration of data from Menut, Catalonia’s second nanosatellite, launched into orbit in January 2023 under the NewSpace Strategy. Menut’s data has been integrated with those from the Earth observation satellite Sentinel-3 —European Union’s Copernicus programme, which provides land surface temperature maps at a resolution of 1 km—, and with data from the SMOS (ESA) and SMAP (NASA) satellites —which provide soil moisture information—. 

The combination of these data, along with artificial intelligence techniques, has enabled the generation of soil temperature and moisture maps at a groundbreaking resolution of 5 meters (see image below). This enhancement provides a precise view of the water status at the plot scale, detecting moisture differences between cultivated fields and surrounding paths, in order to optimize water resource management.

Comparison of soil moisture maps at 100-meter resolution, using data from NASA’s SMAP and Landsat 7, 8, and 9 satellites (left); and at 5-meter resolution, using data from Menut, Sentinel-3 and SMOS/SMAP satellites (right), over specific plots in the Delta de l’Ebre (Catalonia). isardSAT

Projects like MARE demonstrate the potential of NewSpace technologies to open up new perspectives for drought monitoring and management, allowing farmers and water managers to adopt more efficient and sustainable solutions in the face of climate change challenges. 

MARE Explorer

The MARE project allows you to explore weekly drought data from April 2015 to 2023 here. 

Discover the project in this video 

Discover MOT! Optimising vineyard management with satellite technology

Earth Observation is becoming an essential tool for the winegrowing sector, providing valuable information to support more efficient and sustainable decision-making. 

The MOT project (‘Earth Observation Module for PixelSuite’), developed by the Catalan company SPASCAT, has created an innovative methodology using satellite data to optimise the management of vineyards and fruit orchards. 

The project has focused on plots at the Raimat estate, owned by the company Codorníu, in order to validate MOT’s functionalities on the ground and enhance the sustainability and quality of the crops. 

The application combines satellite data, aerial orthophotos, and ground measurements to provide a global and detailed view of the condition of the plots. Through vegetation index maps and the automatic definition of inspection points, MOT supports the work of

viticulture technicians and helps optimise the use of resources such as water, fertilisers, and plant protection products. 

The project has also involved the company Agropíxel, which collaborated with the application developed by SPASCAT to enhance its agronomic analysis and consulting activities. 

Enhanced resolution thanks to Menut 

One of the project’s highlights has been the integration of data from Menut, Catalonia’s second nanosatellite, launched into orbit in January 2023. 

The data from Menut has been integrated with that of Sentinel-2, an Earth observation satellite from the European Union’s Copernicus programme, which enables the calculation of various vegetation indices. The combination of the two satellites has increased the amount of available information thanks to a higher data frequency. Moreover, the use of Menut, which offers better resolution in the red edge band (NDRE index) — highly valuable in agriculture as it provides information on plant chlorophyll content — has made it possible to apply Earth observation technology to small plots of land. 

Thanks to projects like MOT and the synergies they generate, the innovation developed through NewSpace technologies becomes accessible to the ecosystem and has a direct impact on the viticulture and fruit-growing sectors in Catalonia. 

Discover the project in this video.