Researchers from Qian Yin and colleagues propose a task-driven three-layer distributed scheduling method for emergency Earth observation in large low-Earth-orbit constellations. The method addresses the dynamic emergency observation scheduling problem by forming temporary clusters of satellites with compatible capabilities and current inter-satellite links, and then coordinating within and between these clusters to maximize emergency coverage. Computational experiments show that this approach outperforms other distributed methods in terms of emergency coverage and routine-coverage loss. --- Why it matters: This matters because it provides an effective solution for emergency Earth observation in large satellite constellations, which is critical for applications such as disaster response and environmental monitoring. Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.14789