The LEONSEGS project secured significant visibility at the Esri España User Conference 2025 (29–30 October), an event dedicated to promoting collaboration between the Earth Observation (EO) and GIS communities.
Partner Aistech Space represented the project, with Sonia Navarro (Head of Business Development) speaking on an expert panel while Andre Parris (Chief Commercial Officer) attended as a delegate.
The main focus of the panel, Aerospace Sector, New Space, and the Role of Earth Observation and GIS, was the persistent challenge of getting satellite data into the hands of non-technical end-users. The value of data is often lost because it remains confined to technical experts due to non-standard formats and the high level of expertise required for processing.
In this crucial context, Aistech Space highlighted the LEONSEGS project as a pioneering European initiative. The core concept was introduced in discussions with Esri and other participants as a federated marketplace for EO data—best described as “something like an Amazon for satellite imagery.”
The objective of LEONSEGS is to connect multiple data providers and make satellite products genuinely easier to discover, compare, and use. Aistech Space’s active involvement successfully positioned the project as a practical solution designed to bridge the gap between complex EO data and end-user applications, advancing the shared mission to democratise access to geospatial data.
Technical Achievements
Key Features Demonstrated
PR‑3 introduced a major enhancement to the LEONSEGS architecture by extending its capabilities from archive-based retrieval to tasking-based workflows. The prototype demonstrated the complete execution of Use Case UC‑300, where an end-user request for future acquisitions was processed through the Smart Product Request Handler (SPRH) and delegated to the Flexible Multi-Mission Planning (FMMP) subsystem. FMMP successfully generated a tasking order and transmitted it to Aistech via a dedicated API. The external provider confirmed the request and returned a status update, completing the tasking loop.
This release also validated the interaction between FMMP and other core components such as the Multi-Mission Product Generation (MMPG) and Multi-Mission Data Semantic Retrieval (MDSR). Metadata consistency was maintained across all modules, ensuring traceability and alignment of acquisition parameters throughout the workflow. Additionally, PR‑3 incorporated new capabilities, including support for thermal imaging services and expanded multi-mission product generation using Sentinel‑1, Sentinel‑2, Landsat, and Aistech Flatsat data. These improvements strengthen the system’s ability to handle complex EO service requests and set the stage for the upcoming integration of mission control functionalities in PR‑4.
Technical Challenges Overcome
Integrating Aistech’s proprietary API required the development of a custom connector within FMMP to align with the LEONSEGS architecture. This adaptation was essential to ensure interoperability and maintain the robustness of the overall architecture.
Concrete examples
One of the key demonstrations carried out during PR‑3 involved a user submitting a tasking request for thermal imaging. Following the workflow described above, the request was initiated through the SPRH interface, processed by FMMP, and transmitted to the external EO provider via the dedicated API. The provider confirmed the feasibility of the acquisition and returned a product reference to the system, successfully completing the tasking cycle and validating the UC‑300.
Impact
Validation of Core Concepts
PR‑3 marks a pivotal step in validating the system’s ability to handle future acquisition requests through automated tasking. While PR‑2 demonstrated the retrieval of archived EO products, PR‑3 confirms that the LEONSEGS architecture can support dynamic interactions with external providers, enabling users to request new acquisitions based on specific sensing needs and timeframes.
This validation reinforces the modular and interoperable design of the system, showing that the orchestration of multiple subsystems (SPRH, FMMP, MMPG, and MDSR) can be extended to include external tasking workflows.
This achievement reinforces LEONSEGS’ commitment to delivering a flexible and scalable ground segment solution for the New Space ecosystem.
Performance and Efficiency
The end-to-end processing time for UC‑300 requests remained well within the expected range, completing the entire sequence, from user submission to confirmation by Aistech, in less than ten minutes. This performance benchmark confirms that the architecture is capable of managing dynamic requests without compromising responsiveness, even when integrating multiple subsystems and external interfaces. The results highlight the scalability of the solution and its readiness to support more demanding scenarios in future prototype releases.
Looking Ahead
Next Steps in Development
Following the successful completion of PR‑3, the LEONSEGS project is now preparing for its next major milestone: Prototype Release 4 (PR‑4). This upcoming phase will focus on the integration of the Mission Operations and Control Planning System (MOCPS), a critical component that will enable the full Ground Segment as a Service (GSaaS) concept. PR‑4 will bring together mission planning, flight dynamics, and control capabilities, validating end-to-end workflows in a relevant environment and paving the way for the TRL6 demonstration.
