NEODetect: AI-Powered Near-Earth Object Detection for Observatories

NEODetect represents a breakthrough in planetary defense capabilities, delivering AI-powered analysis of astronomical imagery to identify fast-moving near-Earth objects (NEOs) and space debris with unprecedented speed and accuracy. Developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency's Planetary Defense team, our service transforms how observatories contribute to global NEO detection efforts.

The Challenge We Address

Observatory networks worldwide capture thousands of astronomical images nightly, each potentially containing undiscovered asteroids that pose collision risks to Earth. Traditional manual analysis creates bottlenecks that delay detection, while the sheer volume of data overwhelms available expertise. As planetary defense becomes increasingly critical, the space community needs automated systems that can process imagery at scale while maintaining the precision required for threat assessment.

How NEODetect Works

Our service provides observatories with a straightforward upload portal for submitting astrophotography for immediate analysis. Behind this simple interface operates a sophisticated deep learning architecture trained on extensive datasets of confirmed NEO detections and a vast amount of synthetic examples. The system analyzes each image for characteristic motion patterns and spectral signatures that distinguish near-Earth objects from background stars, distant asteroids, and cosmic-ray or other artifacts.

Processing occurs in near real-time, with results typically returned within minutes of upload. The system identifies potential NEO candidates, provides confidence scores for each detection, and generates annotated imagery showing detected objects and their apparent motion vectors. This rapid turnaround enables observatories to prioritize follow-up observations on the most promising candidates while detection windows remain open.

Technical Capabilities

NEODetect's deep learning models have been trained on diverse astronomical datasets encompassing various seeing conditions, telescope configurations, and image qualities. This training enables robust performance across different observatory systems without requiring specialized hardware or complex local installations. The service handles standard astronomical image formats and adapts to varying image scales, exposure times, and detection thresholds.

Our architecture incorporates temporal analysis, comparing sequential images to identify moving objects while filtering false positives from cosmic rays, satellite trails, and image artifacts. The system's neural networks have learned to recognize subtle differences between NEOs, main-belt asteroids, and other solar system bodies based on their motion characteristics and brightness variations.

Validation and Performance

Working with ESA's Planetary Defense Office has provided extensive validation opportunities using real observatory data from European networks. Our system has demonstrated consistent performance in identifying known NEOs within archived datasets, while also highlighting potential candidates that merit additional scrutiny. This ESA collaboration ensures our technology meets the stringent requirements of operational planetary defense programs.

Integration and Accessibility

NEODetect operates as a cloud-based service, eliminating the need for observatories to invest in specialized AI infrastructure or maintain complex software installations. The upload portal accepts standard astronomical formats, and results can be retrieved through the web interface or API for automated pipeline integration. This accessibility enables participation from observatories of all sizes, from major research facilities to amateur networks contributing to planetary defense efforts.

Partnership Opportunities

We actively seek partnerships with observatory networks, space agencies, and planetary defense initiatives worldwide. For observatories, we offer the opportunity to enhance detection capabilities without infrastructure investment. For space agencies and defense organizations, we provide scalable analysis capacity that can complement existing detection systems. We are particularly interested in collaborating on validation campaigns, data sharing agreements, and integration with international planetary defense coordination systems.

Looking Forward

The NEO detection challenge will only grow as space awareness becomes increasingly critical. NEODetect provides proven technology ready to scale with the needs of the global planetary defense community. Our ongoing development focuses on expanding detection capabilities, improving processing speed, and enabling tighter integration with observation scheduling and follow-up coordination systems. We welcome discussions with partners interested in advancing automated NEO detection capabilities and contributing to planetary protection efforts.