IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2013 - 70

receivers augmenting an existing SAR transmitter for
InSAR applications [6]. The European QB50 Project will
soon launch an international network of 50 2U CubeSats
to study the temporal and spatial variations of a number
of key constituents and parameters in the lower thermosphere [4]. ESA's 140-kg PROBA-V satellite will serve as a
miniature engineering lab in orbit. Less than a cubic meter
in volume, PROBA-V is hosting
five technology experiments,
including innovative testing of
the european Qb50
fiber optics for space. The GEOCAPE ROIC In-Flight Perforproject wIll Soon
mance Experiment (GRIFEX) is
launch an Internaa 3U CubeSat in development
tIonal network of
that will perform engineering
50 2u cubeSatS to
assessment of an all-digital inStudy the temporal
pixel high frame rate Read-Out
and SpatIal varIatIonS
Integrated Circuit (ROIC). This
of a number of key
ROIC has an unprecedented
conStItuentS and
frame rate of up to 12 kHz
parameterS In the
while consuming less than 2 W
of power where the design of
lower thermoSphere.
analog-to-digital converters in
each pixel enables the all-digital design. MicroMAS [1], a 3U
CubeSat for 118 GHz sounding, utilizes LTCC SIW filters
on the backend to provide channelization with a scanner
motor assembly to achieve a cross-track swath. CHARM [3],
a 3U CubeSat for 183 GHz sounding, utilizes a state-of-theart Indium Phosphide low noise amplifier (<20 mW) and
novel internal calibration. These two radiometer missions
in development have the capability of synergy in the future
as a combined 118/183 GHz sounder.
the SmallSat workIng group
Operational needs, such as weather forecasting, add a distinct set of requirements for continual and highly reliable
monitoring of global conditions [10]. A goal of the SmallSat
Working Group is therefore to address these diverse requirements and assesses how they might be met by small satellites, identify the needed core technologies to enable and
facilitate small satellite mission development, and bridge
the gap between small satellite and instrumentation technologists and remote sensing mission planners. Universities
have traditionally led the way in embracing the challenge
from the smaller scale. Space agencies worldwide can learn
to incorporate some of these practices that may be at odds
with traditional space qualification grade missions (e.g.,
NASA's Class-A/B missions). The broad membership of the
SmallSat Working Group can aid in this process. The cochairs invite readers who are interested in contributing to
contact them for membership details.

upcomIng SpecIal SeSSIon at IgarSS 2013
There is a vibrant community within the GRSS that is taking advantage of the small satellite platform. A full special session at IGARSS 2013 in Melbourne, Australia will
be dedicated to past, present and future missions. Among
the topics to be discussed are: CubeSats for atmospheric
monitoring using microwave radiometry, constellation
approaches for improved mission performance, and new
sensing technologies offering extremely low size, weight,
and power.
referenceS
[1] W. Blackwell, G. Allen, C. Galbraith, T. Hancock, R. Leslie, I.
Osaretin, L. Retherford, M. Scarito, C. Semisch, M. Shields, M.
Silver, D. Toher, K. Wight, D. Miller, K. Cahoy, and N. Erickson,
"Nanosatellites for earth environmental monitoring: The MicroMAS project," in Proc. 2012 IEEE Int. Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp. (IGARSS), pp. 206-209.
[2] S. Janson, "25 Years of small satellites," in Proc. AIAA/USU Conf.
Small Satellites, Aug. 2011.
[3] B. Lim, D. Mauro, R. De Rosee, M. Sorgenfrei, and S. Vance,
"CHARM: A CubeSat water vapor radiometer for earth science," in Proc. 2012 IEEE Int. Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp.
(IGARSS), pp. 1022-1025.
[4] J. Muylaert, et al., "QB50: An international network of 50 CubeSats for multi-point, in-situ measurements in the lower thermosphere and for re-entry research," in Proc. ESA Atmospheric Science
Conf., 2009.
[5] C. D. Norton, M. P. Pasciuto, P. Pingree, S. Chien, and D. Rider,
"Spaceborne flight validation of NASA ESTO technologies," in
Proc. 2102 IEEE Int. Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp. (IGARSS),
pp. 5650-5653.
[6] E. H. Peterson, R. E. Zee, and G. Fotopoulos, "InSAR microsatellite constellations enabled by formation flying and onboard processing capabilities," in Proc. 25th Annu. AIAA/USU Conf. Small
Satellites, 2011.
[7] P. Pingree, T. Werne, D. Bekker, T. Wilson, J. Cutler, and M. Heywood, "The prototype development phase of the CubeSat Onboard processing Validation Experiment (COVE)," in Proc. 2011
IEEE Aerospace Conf., Big Sky, MT.
[8] C. S. Ruf, S. Gleason, Z. Jelenak, S. Katzberg, A. Ridley, R. Rose, J.
Scherrer, and V. Zavorotny, "The CYGNSS nanosatellite constellation hurricane mission," in Proc. 2012 IEEE Int. Geoscience and
Remote Sensing Symp. (IGARSS), pp. 214-216.
[9] D. Selva and D. Krejci, "A survey and assessment of the capabilities of CubeSats for Earth observation," Acta Astronaut., vol. 74,
pp. 50-68, 2011.
[10] Committee on Earth Studies, Space Studies Board, National Research Council, The Role of Small Satellites in NASA and NOAA
Earth Observation Programs. Washington, DC: The National Acadgrs
emy Press, 2000.

ieee Geoscience and remote sensing magazine

June 2013

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