SpudNik-1 Satellite

Develop and test an imaging system for precision agriculture.

Develop and test an imaging system for precision agriculture. The system will be able to capture precise soil and crop data (texture, topography, moisture content, weed and disease infestations, crop damage, etc.) as well as verify the effectiveness of herbicide and fungicide applications, monitor physical damage due to insects, inundation, wind and hail, and schedule an irrigation plan. The goal is to develop better monitoring systems to promote greater sustainability.

The proposed sensing system, integrated into a 2U CubeSat structure, will be capable of capturing high resolution (2 – 10 m on the ground) soil and crop data (texture, topography, moisture content, weed and disease infestations, crop damage, etc.) in a non-destructive way using visible-band image data. High-resolution data from the CubeSat will help the agricultural growers to manage agricultural inputs on an as-needed basis to ensure economic and environmental sustainability.

The sustainable use of agricultural inputs (fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) based on crop need, as identified by the high resolution visible-band image data from the CubeSat, will not only increase farm profitability and input use efficiency but also minimize the risks associated with climate change by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the agriculture sector.