Detection of Land Reclamation and Other Developments in the South China Sea through Satellite and Related Data
- Yuko Miuchi
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Conducted near real-time, multifaceted analysis using recently acquired satellite and related data
New Space Intelligence Inc. (Head Office: Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture; CEO: Yumiko Nagai; hereinafter “NSI”) has confirmed new land reclamation and facility construction on the southwestern part of Barque Canada Reef in the South China Sea, based on an analysis conducted jointly with Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (President and Representative Director: Kenji Yabuta; hereinafter “MRI”) using satellite and related data. This outcome stems from a Proof of Concept (PoC) on change-detection analysis of island areas in the South China Sea, conducted as part of NSI and MRI’s ongoing efforts to develop intelligence services using satellite and other geospatial data, and it also revealed the presence of vessels potentially involved in the observed reclamation and related construction activities. |
1. Background of the PoC
In a world increasingly characterized by uncertainty and opacity, intelligence—information that supports decision-making based on objective evidence—is indispensable. Demand for intelligence derived from spatial data such as satellite imagery continues to grow globally.
NSI possesses proprietary technology that automates the entire process of selecting, integrating, analyzing, and delivering multi-satellite data as a unified “pipeline.” Meanwhile, MRI has an extensive track record in the social implementation of satellite data utilization through research, feasibility studies, and demonstration projects, as well as a wealth of experience and expertise in the national security domain. Leveraging these complementary strengths, NSI and MRI are jointly developing intelligence services for both domestic and international applications using satellite and other geospatial data. In the 2024 PoC, the two companies confirmed the feasibility of detecting topographical changes associated with island reclamation activities using past satellite data.
2. PoC Results and Features of the Developing Service
Building on the findings of the 2024 PoC, this proof of concept sought to detect unreported reclamation and facility construction activities in island areas of the South China Sea, as well as to identify vessels involved in those activities. Specifically, after selecting target islands for analysis[1], the team conducted multifaceted and near real-time analysis by integrating satellite data[2], AIS (Automatic Identification System) data[3], and other relevant datasets.
As a result, the analysis confirmed new land reclamation and facility construction at the southwestern part of Barque Canada Reef and identified the presence of vessels potentially involved in these activities, which had not been reported publicly prior to this study. The applied technology and analytical methodology are expected to enable similar detection of changes and vessel movements in other island regions beyond the South China Sea.
While many existing services rely on manually inspecting satellite imagery to identify changes, the service currently being developed by NSI and MRI is characterized by its ability to systematically detect changes over large areas using various indices derived from observational data. This approach enables efficient detection of changes and potential risks in areas of interest to our customers (such as island regions). For more information, please refer to the full report (PDF file).
3. Future Plans
Building on the findings of this PoC, the two companies will expand the analysis beyond the South China Sea and continue developing services that leverage diverse geospatial datasets to support international situational awareness, monitoring of infrastructure conditions, disaster impact assessment, and risk analysis for maritime logistics and supply chains, among other applications.
[1] The target islands for analysis were Sabina Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal, Barque Canada Reef, and Pearson Reef.
[2] Optical satellite data with spatial resolutions of 10 meters and 0.3 meters was used.
[3] AIS (Automatic Identification System) data were provided by Kpler.
Full Report
Reference：
Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.（MRI） Overview
Corporate Name: Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.
Head Office: 10-3, Nagatacho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
President: Kenji Yabuta
Foundation: May 8, 1970
Paid-up Capital: 6.3 billion yen
Business Activities: Think tank and consulting services, IT services
Website URL: https://www.mri.co.jp/
For Inquiries |
New Space Intelligence Inc. |
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