Remote sensing small satellites: the user's role

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Jose Montpetit
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Small Satellites

scholarly journals Remote sensing of aerosols with small satellites in formation flight

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 3935-3954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk Knobelspiesse ◽  
Sreeja Nag
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Information Content ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Small Satellites ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Aerosol Remote Sensing

Abstract. Determination of aerosol optical properties with orbital passive remote sensing is a difficult task, as observations often have limited information. Multi-angle instruments, such as the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and the POlarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances (POLDER), seek to address this by making information-rich multi-angle observations that can be used to better retrieve aerosol optical properties. The paradigm for such instruments is that each angle view is made from one platform, with, for example, a gimballed sensor or multiple fixed view angle sensors. This restricts the observing geometry to a plane within the scene bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) observed at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). New technological developments, however, support sensors on small satellites flying in formation, which could be a beneficial alternative. Such sensors may have only one viewing direction each, but the agility of small satellites allows one to control this direction and change it over time. When such agile satellites are flown in formation and their sensors pointed to the same location at approximately the same time, they could sample a distributed set of geometries within the scene BRDF. In other words, observations from multiple satellites can take a variety of view zenith and azimuth angles and are not restricted to one azimuth plane as is the case with a single multi-angle instrument. It is not known, however, whether this is as potentially capable as a multi-angle platform for the purposes of aerosol remote sensing. Using a systems engineering tool coupled with an information content analysis technique, we investigate the feasibility of such an approach for the remote sensing of aerosols. These tools test the mean results of all geometries encountered in an orbit. We find that small satellites in formation are equally capable as multi-angle platforms for aerosol remote sensing, as long as their calibration accuracies and measurement uncertainties are equivalent. As long as the viewing geometries are dispersed throughout the BRDF, it appears the quantity of view angles determines the information content of the observations, not the specific observation geometry. Given the smoothly varying nature of BRDF's observed at the TOA, this is reasonable and supports the viability of aerosol remote sensing with small satellites flying in formation. The incremental improvement in information content that we found with number of view angles also supports the concept of a resilient mission comprised of multiple satellites that are continuously replaced as they age or fail.

Mission design and operations of a constellation of small satellites for remote sensing

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor C. Sorensen ◽  
Eric J. Pilger ◽  
Mark S. Wood ◽  
Miguel A. Nunes ◽  
Lance K. Yoneshige
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Mission Design ◽  
Small Satellites

Vision, development and experience in small satellites for remote sensing: a comparative study

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harijono Djojodihardjo ◽  
Md. Azlin Md. Said ◽  
Mohd. Faizal Alaudin ◽  
Mohd. Shamsul Kamal Adnan ◽  
Eriko N.M. Nasser
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Small Satellites ◽  
Vision Development

Study on Configuration Design of the Multi-Payload Adapter for One Vehicle with Multi-Satellite

2014 ◽  
Vol 971-973 ◽  
pp. 740-743
Author(s):  
Yong Xin Gao ◽  
Dong Yang ◽  
Qiang Xin ◽  
Yin Xin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Satellite Communication ◽  
Launch Vehicle ◽  
Configuration Design ◽  
Small Satellites

Constellations of small satellites have a promising use in satellite remote sensing or satellite communication. Launching several small satellites at the same time with one vehicle is a good way to keep the budget of the whole project under control. Multi-payload adapter is an important equipment on the launch vehicle to carry those small satellites during the rising phase and shoot them into their own trajectories during the orbiting phase. The paper studies the relations between the demands of small satellites launching and the multi-payload adapter designing. Also the paper illustrates the necessity of putting the multi-payload adapter into a project and the necessity of researching on the multi-payload concurrent experiment.

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