Enhancing Maritime Situational Awareness Through End-to-End Onboard Raw Data Analysis

Satellite-based onboard data processing is crucial for time-sensitive applications requiring timely and efficient rapid response. Advances in edge artificial intelligence are shifting computational power from ground-based centres to on-orbit platforms, transforming the “sensing-communication-decision-feedback” cycle and reducing latency from acquisition to delivery. The current research presents a framework addressing the strict bandwidth, energy, and latency constraints of small satellites, focusing on maritime monitoring. The study contributes three main innovations. First, it investigates the application of deep learning techniques for direct ship detection and classification from raw satellite imagery. By simplifying the onboard processing chain, our approach facilitates direct analyzes without requiring computationally intensive steps such as calibration and ortho-rectification. Second, to address the scarcity of raw satellite data, we introduce two novel datasets, VDS2Raw and VDV2Raw, which are derived from raw data from Sentinel-2 and Vegetation and Environment Monitoring New Micro Satellite (VEN μS) missions, respectively, and enriched with automatic identification system records. Third, we characterize the tasks’ optimal single and multiple spectral band combinations through statistical and feature-based analyzes validated on both datasets. In sum, we demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method through a proof-of-concept on CubeSat-like hardware, confirming the models’ potential for operational satellite-based maritime monitoring.