Patent ID: 11932423
Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 6:
7. A mission plan calculation device for an Earth observation satellite comprising:
a first satellite transmitter-receiver configured to transmit a command signal which commands an optical imaging system of the Earth observation satellite for acquiring at least one satellite image on at least one acquisition date,
memory configured to store a history of meteorological variable values which comprise meteorological observations and/or metrological forecasts associated with a predetermined zone of the Earth previously divided according to a grid of cells, where the meteorological observations were observed on and/or the meteorological forecasts were forecast for a date preceding the acquisition date;
a second processor configured for:
determining, for each cell in the grid of cells, based on the history of meteorological variable values, a plurality of groups of values which each comprise, at least:
a first meteorological variable value associated with a first history date;
a second meteorological variable value associated with a second history date later or earlier than the first history date, and
a history time difference between the first history date and the second history date;

calculating, for all or part of the predetermined zone of the Earth, based on the plurality of groups of values, a conditional probability function which describes the probability of observing a second meteorological variable value included in a predetermined interval on a second date subject to a condition of:
observing a first meteorological variable value at a first date which is prior to the second date, and/or predicting on a first date a third meteorological variable value for a forecast date located around the second date, specifically, on a date which precedes, follows and/or is equal to the second date, and
under an additional condition of observing a predetermined time difference between the first date and the second and/or forecast date,

selecting a plurality of cells from the grid, intended to be overflown by the Earth observation satellite on the acquisition date, based on the orbital characteristics of the Earth observation satellite, thereby obtaining candidate cells,
obtaining, for each candidate cell, at least one current meteorological observation associated with a planning date which precedes the acquisition date and/or at least one current meteorological forecast associated with a date located around the acquisition date,
calculating a mission plan for the Earth observation satellite based on the candidate cells and the conditional probability function, and
inserting the mission plan into the command signal.