Proof-of-Concept of Direct-to-Satellite IoT for Earth Observation Applications: Soil Moisture Experiment

Novel demands from Earth Observation community have emerged due to current climate situation. These needs are mainly oriented on monitoring hydric stress, climate disasters, among others. These applications require satellite systems capable to provide high frequency and sub-metric spatial resolution observations. An hybrid architecture which combines in-space with in-situ measurements emerges as a potential approach. In this scenario, ground sensor devices autonomously perform in-situ measurements with different spatial and temporal resolutions different from satellite ones. These devices must manage their constrained resources and transfer the generated data. The Direct-to-Satellite Internet of Things paradigm proposes the interconnection of Low Earth Orbit satellites with these devices using standardized protocols. This work presents a proof-of-concept that demonstrates the benefits for Earth Observation applications. Specifically, a sensor system is developed to monitor the soil moisture, and installed in a remote location to perform a measurement campaign. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this hybrid architecture.