A non-geostationary satellite system and method for weather and climate monitoring, communications applications, scientific research, and similar tasks. The satellite system provides global coverage using a constellation of six satellites in two orthogonal, 24 sidereal hour orbits (geosynchronous) with inclinations of 70 to 90, and eccentricities of 0.275-0.45. By placing three of the satellites in a first orbit with an apogee over the north pole, and three of the satellites in a second, orthogonal orbit with an apogee over the south pole, global coverage may be obtained. As well, the satellites in these orbits avoid most of the Van Allen Belts.

Solar radiation is collected and converted to microwave energy by means maintained in outer space on one or more platforms in space. The microwave energy is then transmitted to earth and directed to and constantly focused on one or more segments of a generally circular and slowly rotating tropical depression, which is a precursor to a tropical storm and then a hurricane (alternatively called a cyclone or typhoon). The focused microwave energy interrupts the cycle of vertical upward and downward movement of air, water, & water vapor, and destabilizes the developing rotational motion of the tropical depression, causing it to break up and dissipate, and preventing it from ultimately developing into a hurricane. When not focusing microwave energy on a tropical depression, the microwave energy can alternatively be used to create earth based solar energy, which would help alleviate costs of operating the system solely for hurricane prevention.

A spectrophotometric device is disclosed having a plurality of spectral measurement bands including a single telescope and a single spectrophotometer. The plurality of spectral bands is obtained by placing pupillary separating prisms at an entrance pupil of the telescope, and by using spectral band selection filters. Such a device has a lower weight, smaller dimensions, and a lower price. In particular, it may be integrated into a satellite, in particular for a mission to characterize flows of carbon compounds that are produced on the Earth's surface.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods provide for technology that locates one or more masses of an ocean-based weather system, as the ocean-based weather system starts to organize and before the ocean-based weather system spawns a land-based storm, and controls a transmission of electromagnetic radiation from the space platform to the one or more masses, wherein the transmitted electromagnetic radiation tracks the one or more masses as the ocean-based weather system is starting to organize and rotate, and wherein the transmitted electromagnetic radiation prevents the ocean-based weather system from rotating and spawning the land-based storm.

A spectrophotometric device is disclosed having a plurality of spectral measurement bands including a single telescope and a single spectrophotometer. The plurality of spectral bands is obtained by placing pupillary separating prisms at an entrance pupil of the telescope, and by using spectral band selection filters. Such a device has a lower weight, smaller dimensions, and a lower price. In particular, it may be integrated into a satellite, in particular for a mission to characterize flows of carbon compounds that are produced on the Earth's surface.

A system includes a first sensor positioned to sense presence of a contrail in a first volume, wherein the first volume at least partially overlaps an expected volume of a contrail proximate an aircraft. A second sensor is positioned to sense a background reference in a second volume, where the second volume does not overlap the expected volume of a contrail proximate an aircraft. A controller is operatively connected to the first and second sensors. The controller includes machine readable instructions configured to cause the controller to utilize data input from both the first and second volumes to determine if a contrail is present from the aircraft. A system includes machine readable instructions configured to cause the controller to predict persistence of contrails on an intended route through the volume of airspace and to determine an improved route and/or propulsion operation to reduce contrail formation and persistence relative to the intended route.

A spectrographic system includes a space-borne spectrometer in communication with a ground-based processor. The space-borne spectrometer may include an interferometer, a detector array downstream from the interferometer, and a spectrometer controller configured to cooperate with the detector array to collect Fourier Transform Spectral (FTS) data, generate Principle Component Analysis (PCA) scores from the collected FTS data, generate an approximate interferogram based upon the PCA scores and the collected FTS data, generate residuals based upon the approximate interferogram, and generate compressed FTS data based upon the PCA scores and residuals to be sent to the ground-based processor.

This disclosure describes techniques for providing a transformative framework to forecast physical properties of an atmosphere to predict the orbit of satellite devices. As one example, the transformative framework has two major components: (i) the development of a quasi-physical dynamic reduced-order model (ROM) that uses a linear approximation of the underlying dynamics (e.g., solar conditions or magnetic conditions) and effect of the drivers, and (ii) data assimilation and calibration of the ROM through estimation of the ROM coefficients that represent the model parameters.

A radio wave measurement device enabling highly sensitive measurements of radio waves at an extremely low temperature is disclosed. The radio wave measurement device has a radiation-blocking filter through which a targeted radio wave is transmitted, a radio wave-transparent material to reflect a non-targeted electromagnetic wave included in radio waves, and a radio wave detector which are placed in a vacuum vessel, in which the radio waves are transmitted through the radiation-blocking filter, the non-targeted electromagnetic wave included in the radio waves is reflected toward the radiation-blocking filter by the radio wave-transparent material and collected as heat into the radiation-blocking filter, and the heat is exhausted out of the system, allowing the radio waves transmitted through the radio wave-transparent material to be measured with high sensitivity by the radio wave detector.

The present invention relates to a passive microwave sounder for a satellite, having a fixed reflection plate. The passive microwave sounder for a satellite, having a fixed reflection plate includes: a motor 100 including a first rotary shaft 110 formed to extend in a progressing direction of a satellite; a first rotating reflection plate 200 forming a predetermined angle with respect to the ground surface of a nadir direction and having a first one-side surface 210 and a first other-side surface 220, the center of the first one-side surface 210 being coupled to and rotating with the first rotary shaft 110, such that the first one-side surface 210 and the first other-side surface 220 alternately face the ground surface, and the second other-side surface 220 reflecting incident electromagnetic waves; an auxiliary reflection part 300 reflecting the electromagnetic waves incident from the first other-side surface 220 to a predetermined position; a reception part 400 receiving the electromagnetic waves reflected from the auxiliary reflection part 300; and a fixed reflection plate 500 fixed above the first rotating reflection plate 200 at a predetermined angle with the ground surface and reflecting the electromagnetic waves to the first one-side surface 210 or the first other-side surface 220.