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SeaCube - Radar Altimeter for CubeSats
Navy SBIR FY2012.2
| Sol No.: |
Navy SBIR FY2012.2 |
| Topic No.: |
N122-146 |
| Topic Title: |
SeaCube - Radar Altimeter for CubeSats |
| Proposal No.: |
N122-146-0845 |
| Firm: |
Busek Co. Inc.
11 Tech Circle
Natick, Massachusetts 01760-1023 |
| Contact: |
Craig DeLuccia |
| Phone: |
(508) 655-5565 |
| Web Site: |
www.busek.com |
| Abstract: |
Busek Co. Inc. with expertise in spacecraft electric propulsion systems, including microwave generated plasmas and CubeSats, and ImSAR LLC with expertise in small Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) for Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) have teamed up to develop an ocean sensing radar altimeter called SeaCube. SeaCube will fit into 1U of a 3U CubeSat, operate in pulsed mode, consume low orbit average power and produce acceptable data rates.
The concepts underlying radar altimetry began after the Navy's Moon Bounce program showed accurate ranging measurements. NRL realized that similar radar from orbit to the ocean surface could accurately determine the ocean surface state. This resulted in a plethora of ocean state measuring satellites, all which are much larger than CubeSats. With this program the Navy is again at the forefront of technology challenging the community to reduce the radar altimeter size to a 1U Cube form factor.
Phase 1 of the proposed program is focused on demonstrating SeaCube's feasibility. The point of departure will be a miniature UAV based imaging radar build by ImSAR called NanoSAR which is already near the 1U form factor. The Phase 2 deliverable will be an EM model of the SeaCube, ready for flight qualification program.
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| Benefits: |
Altimetry satellites provide important ocean surface topography, currents, and surface winds that are essential for all Navy and commercial shipping as well as submarine-launched ballistic missiles and other submarine operations, landings, and Special Forces operations. The information generated by ocean sensing radars is crucial for weather predictions and global weather models. A fleet of CubeSats continuously and simultaneously collecting ocean state data is the most promising way to accomplish NASA's Science objective to "Understand of the roles of the ocean, atmosphere, and ice in the climate system and improve predictive capability for its future evolution" and NOAA's Mission Support Level Outcome of "satellite programs that ensure continuous observation of critical environmental conditions". A NOAA report implies that a radar altimetry observation capability may have provided early warning of 26 December 2004 Tsunami, thus saving lives. |
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