Orion Space Solutions (Orion), a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield, announced on Thursday, December 12, that it has been awarded a new contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support its Advanced Access Methods for Earth Observations Digital Twin program (EO-DT). The two-year project, which began this month in Silver Spring, Maryland, aims to enhance the management and dissemination of Earth observation data using digital twins.
Also Read: IBM Study Predicts Vehicles to Be Software-Defined and AI-Powered by 2035
Advancing Data Access with NLP and LLMs
As part of the initiative, Orion will evaluate how NOAA can use natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLMs) to streamline and accelerate access to the terabytes of data the agency collects from diverse satellite sources. The work builds on Orion’s previous advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, which have been applied to satellite mission planning and space domain awareness.
"We have already proven how AI can be leveraged for enhanced space domain awareness and Earth observation, and we are excited to extend that work to satellite mission planning," said Chad Fish, president and general manager of Orion.
Also Read: Google Features Startups Using AI to Transform Mental Health Support
Digital Twin Technology
Orion's platform integrates satellite, atmospheric, land, and sea observations into a single dynamic digital twin. Using cloud-based high-performance computing, the platform models and visualises various Earth scenarios, helping to provide insights into current, future, and hypothetical conditions.
Kevin Kelly, CEO of Arcfield, expressed enthusiasm about the potential of this project to transform data into actionable insights that address real-world challenges.