Earth observation missions generate vast amounts of data, but a significant fraction of that data often has limited or no value when cloud cover obscures the target area. In such cases, downlinking these images wastes bandwidth, onboard storage, and operational time.
The Craft Prospect Cloud Detector provides onboard cloud awareness, enabling spacecraft to make informed decisions before data is collected or transmitted. By imaging the Earth ahead of the satellite, the Cloud Detector identifies, classifies, and maps cloud cover to deliver up to four minutes of forecast directly to the payload computer.
With a low SWaP design for CubeSat constraints, the Cloud Detector delivers strong return on investment for missions seeking to ensure optimal utilisation of onboard resources, remove downlink transmission bottlenecks, and improve overall mission productivity.
4-minute forecast of incoming cloud cover.
Full and partial cloud cover classification.
Unlock responsive pointing and image masking.
Technical Specifications
General
FPGA:
Zynq 7000
Camera:
RGB sensor, filter and lens
Interfaces:
CAN, SPI, RS422, I2C
Operating Temperature:
-20°C to +65°C
Qualification
Thermal:
Full qualification: -40°C to +80°C
Vibration:
Full qualification:
Sine sweep (NASA GEVS)
Random vibration (NASA GEVS)
Size, weight, and power
Dimensions:
95 x 95 x 35 mm
Mass:
250 g
Power consumption:
5W
Input voltage:
5V
Performance
(reference 500km sun-sync. mission)
Resolution:
2048 x 1536 px
Field of View:
50°
Swath width at nadir:
500 km
GSD at nadir:
250 m/px
Classification accuracy:
97%
Georeference precision:
10 km
Inference time:
< 5 s to payload computer
Framerate:
0.02 Hz (for contiguous classification)
Look-ahead range:
Up to 150 s / 1,000 k