Description: This Phase I effort proposes the development of ThunderTrack, a lightning detection and tracking software suite that uses autonomous adaptive imaging strategies to optimally detect events from space during any time of the day, cluster them into flashes, and direct the platform navigation and attitude and CIS sampling approach for consistent tracking. ThunderTrack is a significant improvement from the current state-of-the-art, which employs fixed event detection and sampling strategies, since it optimizes lightning measurements based on the image scenes of interest. The effort will be accomplished through a strategic partnership between USRA, a space research institution and TRL11, a privately-funded, revenue-generating early stage company with expertise in developing low-latency full motion video solutions for space in limited SWaP and bandwidth constraints. Key personnel for this effort include USRA's renowned Lightning Scientist Dr. Douglas Mach, TRL11's Founder/CEO Nicolaas Verheem (with entrepreneurial experience building and commercializing video technology), TRL11's Space Imaging Guru Rodney Grubbs (who has 35+ years of experience at NASA's MSFC building imagers), and TRL11's Stephen Long (a seasoned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance expert who knows how to leverage images for data/science). The funding for this effort will be spent on developing this software to advance it from TRL 2 to TRL 4. This will position the technology well to be tested on the Processing Unit developed within the other project in this subtopic in Phase II. The technology developed in this Phase I has applications to better track thunderstorms from LEO, but also for a wide range of other earth and space-based observations. Beachhead commercial target markets include Satellite-based Earth Observation and In-Space Logistics. TRL11 foresees up to $2B in revenue potential from these two markets alone and plans to identify and evaluate other markets as well.

Benefits: ThunderTrack can support NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). SMD is interested in advancing Earth Science, Space Science, and other Planetary Science through space technology. Given the influence of lightning activity on storm intensification and the ability of LEO-based lightning mappers to identify convective clouds producing lightning, ThunderTrack can play a vital role in supporting SMD's efforts to advance storm and climate science research. ThunderTrack can also be applied to observing other dynamic natural Earth phenomena of interest to SMD, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and heavy precipitation events/flooding. To this notion, TRL11 could integrate its software on upcoming NASA missions focused on better understanding our atmosphere and severe weather, such as the Atmospheric Observing System (AOS) mission. ThunderTrack could also be leveraged to enhance optical measurements of lightning for the 3D lightning mapping concept being developed through a NASA incubator. Outside of observation for Earth Science Observation, ThunderTrack can be adapted to further space science. Specifically, the technology could be used to better detect and observe flares or prominences on the solar surface, volcano eruptions of other planetary moons, or storms events on other planets. Since ThunderTrack uses detection and predictive tracking data to reorient a satellite/entire swarm autonomously, it also supports NASA's STMD, which aims to advance space technology capabilities for future missions. One category of investment that STMD is interested in is Autonomous Systems and Robotics, where technologies that enable self-situational awareness and autonomous satellite constellations for distributed science measurements are of interest. ThunderTrack could be tested on NASA's Starling Mission and later be used in missions that desire automated operations of swarms with imaging systems.ThunderTrack and/or an adaptation of it can be sold as an independent software product or integrated into TRL11 existing camera products (ie. or RPOD camera Triclops or video edge compute platform connected to our space cameras). TRL11 sees strong commercialization potential in various commercial markets and non-NASA government agencies. One target market is Satellite Earth Observation (EO), where TRL11 sees a $1.4B revenue opportunity. The underlying technology enables high frame rate change detection and ROI tracking, useful to commercial satellite operators monitoring transient weather phenomena. BlackSky has previously indicated their interest in such a capability for their EO constellation. Another company, ClimateSense, is interested in the software for lightning mapping on their future satellites. In addition, the capability can also be used for national security/border surveillance from space. Another target market is In-Space Logistics, where TRL11 sees ~$733M revenue opportunity. Market customers include companies working on Orbital Transfer/Servicing, Active Debris Removal, SDA/Traffic Management, and In-Space Assembly & Manufacturing. ThunderTrack's ability to detect/track an ROI and communicate with the host platform's navigation system can have multiple applications. One is enabling autonomous, Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking for spacecraft that need on-orbit servicing. Another is detecting/tracking space debris and other Residential Space Objects for improved situational awareness, something that is increasingly important with a congested LEO. Specific non-NASA agencies that TRL11 can sell this technology include NOAA (for weather monitoring & prediction), DHS, NGA, and NRO (for satellite-based national/border security) and the Space Force (for Space Domain Awareness). TRL11 has a Letter of Support from the DHS regarding leveraging intelligent edge processing of video in LEO to support various border security objectives.