The third prototype release (PR-3) of the LEONSEGS project marks a significant milestone in the evolution of federated ground segment services. Building on the archive-based retrieval capabilities demonstrated in PR-2, PR-3 successfully validates Use Case 300 (UC-300), enabling automated tasking of external Earth Observation (EO) providers for future acquisitions.
This achievement demonstrates the system’s ability to extend its workflow beyond archived data retrieval to include future acquisition requests, integrating multiple subsystems and an external EO provider through a dedicated tasking interface.
This milestone builds on the foundations laid in previous releases and demonstrates the progressive evolution of LEONSEGS toward a fully integrated multi-mission ground segment.
The PR‑3 prototype was tested in June 2025 within GMV’s internal integration environment, ensuring controlled conditions for validating the new tasking workflow and its interoperability with external systems.
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.
