22 September 2009

Small gems monitor Earth from space

A combination of small satellites can use the signals of the navigation satellite systems GPS and Galileo to significantly improve remote sensing of the System Earth.

MicroGEM (Microsatellites for GNSS Earth Monitoring) represents satellites with a mass of 100 kilograms for monitoring Earth, according to researchers at Technical University Berlin and the GFZ—German Research Centre for Geosciences.

These small satellites are a cost-effective platform for scientific instruments. GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System, a compendium of the satellite navigation system GPS and, in future, Galileo. With the GFZ-satellite missions CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload) and GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment), such, satellite-based innovative remote sensing technologies have been successfully employed during the past years. MicroGEM links in with these missions and will, for the first time, use the signals from the future Galileo-satellites for the GNSS-supported atmospheric and ionospheric remote sensing on a global scale.

GNSS-signals for the remote sensing of ocean and ice surface will see use for the first time.

The technology challenge of MicroGEM lies in the fact this small satellite mission shall serve as a predecessor for future multi-satellite systems with scientific GNSS-receivers as satellite payload. With such constellations, the number of measurements can increase and improve global coverage.

In close cooperation between scientific institutes and regional industry, the foundation is set for the project. The MicroGEM-Project brings together proven technique with innovation in a way that allows for new scientific results at minimum technological risk.

For related information, go to www.isa.org/sensors.