Echo Time Distance Measurements for Nanosatellite Arrays, Phase I

Synthetic apertures as used in radio astronomy and magnetometry are of interest to the scientific community. The military makes heavy use of synthetic apertures radar systems. Both the commercial communications industry and the military have interest in synthetic apertures as used in phased array communications antennas. Large-scale sensor arrays are of interest to the scientific community to measure and record physical phenomena such as solar disturbances and comet fly-by characterization. A significant reduction of equipment cost and deployment cost is achieved by allowing the vast majority of the satellites that compose a synthetic aperture (or sensor array) to be nanosatellites. Existing users of synthetic apertures and sensor arrays will find the value proposition of this cost reducing architecture compelling. The lower cost is also expected to make synthetic apertures (or sensor arrays) economically viable for new sets of applications. More »