A method, apparatus, and system for managing sensor system for an aircraft. A presence of erroneous sensor data generated by a set of external sensors on an exterior of the aircraft is detected. A set of deployable sensors is deployed in response to the erroneous sensor data being received from the set of external sensors on the exterior of the aircraft when an undesired environmental condition adverse to the set of external sensors on the exterior of the aircraft is absent. Sensor data is received from the set of deployable sensors.

An aircraft includes an airframe with a thrust array attached thereto. The thrust array includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies that are independently controlled by a flight control system. A landing gear assembly is coupled to the airframe and includes a plurality of landing feet. An altitude sensor array includes a plurality of altitude sensors each of which is disposed within one of the landing feet such that when the aircraft is in the VTOL orientation, the altitude sensor array is configured to obtain multifocal altitude data relative to a landing surface. The flight control system is configured to generate a three-dimensional terrain map of the surface based upon the multifocal altitude data.

A method for calculating an altitude of a target through an apparatus for calculating an altitude of the target, which comprises a plurality of MIMO radar virtual antennas, may comprise: receiving electromagnetic waves reflected from the target through a pair of virtual antennas classified into an upper antenna and a lower antenna and alternately arranged in two columns linearly; obtaining range information and phase information of the target from the pair of virtual antennas by analyzing the electromagnetic waves; and calculating altitude information of the target from position information of the pair of virtual antennas, and the range information and the phase information.

The embodiments described herein provide ranging and location determination capabilities in RF-opaque environments, such as a jungle, that preclude the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or laser ranging systems, utilizing transponders and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers located on aerial vehicles. The aerial vehicles operate above the RF-opaque environment, and communicate with a ranging device within the RF-opaque environment on frequencies that propagate in the RF-opaque environment. The ranging device transmits RF signals to the transponders, which are received by the transponders and re-broadcasted back to the ranging device on a different frequency. The aerial vehicles also provide their coordinates to the ranging device using their GPS receivers. The ranging device uses information about the transmitted and received RF signals and the GPS coordinates of the aerial vehicles to calculate a perpendicular distance to a property line from the ranging device, and/or to calculate a coordinate location of the ranging device.

A radio altimeter includes an electronically scanned array antenna. Orthogonal sweeps by the electronically scanned array antenna are used to identify a highest point in a region beneath the aircraft without the need for strong reflection. The electronically scanned array antenna may be reconfigured to scan a subregion including the highest point with a higher frequency beam and/or integrate multiple sweeps over time for a more accurate measurement.

A system having components coupled to an aircraft and components remote from the aircraft processes radar-augmented data, transmits information between aircraft system components and/or remote system components, and dynamically determines locations and states of the aircraft, while the aircraft is in flight. Based on the locations and states of the aircraft, the system generates instructions for flight control of the aircraft toward a flight path appropriate to the locations of the aircraft, and can update flight control instructions as new data is received and processed.

A constellation of satellites and associated methods for Earth Observation are disclosed. One method includes transmitting a set of at least four signals towards the Earth using a constellation of at least four satellites and receiving a set of at least four reflected signals from the Earth using the constellation. The method also includes analyzing, using a set of at least four signal analyzers, the set of at least four signals to generate a set of data. Each satellite in the constellation individually houses a signal analyzer in the set of at least four signal analyzers. The method also includes deriving the set of Earth observations using the set of data. Each satellite receives a signal in the set of at least four signals from every other satellite in the constellation.

A flight control module for detecting anomalies ILS localizer signals during landing of an aircraft is provided. The flight control module includes a communication interface coupled to a processor. The communication interface is configured to receive an ILS localizer deviation. The processor is configured to compute a plurality of localizer deviations and compare the ILS localizer deviation to an average of the plurality of localizer deviations to detect a low-frequency anomaly in the ILS localizer deviation. The processor is configured to initiate a transition from controlling the aircraft based on the ILS localizer deviation to controlling the aircraft based on a selected one of the plurality of localizer deviations when the low-frequency anomaly is detected.

A system for intelligent non-disruptive airspace integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is disclosed. The system includes an onboard positioning system and altimeter that determine a current position and altitude of the UAS. Under normal conditions, the UAS remains in inert mode: a transceiver listens for and decodes transmissions from nearby aircraft and ground-based traffic and control facilities. If certain conditions are met (e.g., proximate aircraft, altitude ceilings, controlled or restricted airspaces) the system may declare an alert mode. When in alert mode, the transceiver broadcasts position and identifier information of the UAS to alert neighboring aircraft to its presence. Intelligent transmission strategies regulate the power level or rate of alert-mode transmissions to reduce spectrum congestion due to high UAS density. Alert-mode transmissions continue until the underlying conditions change and inert mode is resumed.

A method for measuring, using a radar or sonar, the velocity with respect to the ground of a carrier moving parallel to the ground, includes the following steps: a) orienting the line of sight of the radar or sonar toward the ground; b) emitting a plurality of radar or sonar signals (P.sub.1-P.sub.N) that are directed toward the ground, and acquiring respective echo signals (E.sub.1-E.sub.N); c) processing the acquired echo signals so as to obtain, for one or more echo delay values, a corresponding Doppler spectrum; d) for the or at least one the echo delay value, determining a high cut-off frequency of the corresponding Doppler spectrum; and e) computing the velocity of the carrier with respect to the ground on the basis of the one or more high cut-off frequencies. A system allowing such a method to be implemented.