The Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry (GNSS-R) Microwave Interferometric Reflectometer: Hardware,...

Area of Science:

• Remote Sensing
• Geophysics
• Satellite Technology

Background:

• Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is an emerging Earth observation technique.
• Assessing the performance of GNSS-R instruments and techniques is crucial for advancing the field.
• Existing instruments may have limitations in multi-band signal tracking and beam-steering capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe the Microwave Interferometric Reflectometer (MIR) instrument.
• To evaluate the performance of a PAssive Reflectrometry and Interferometry System-In Orbit Demonstrator (PARIS-IoD) like instrument.
• To compare the effectiveness of different GNSS-R methodologies and signal types.

Main Methods:

• The MIR instrument features multi-beam, dual-band capabilities with beam-steering.
• It can track multiple Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites across L1/E1 and L5/E5 bands.
• Detailed calibration procedures for both up- and down-looking arrays are presented and evaluated.

Main Results:

• The calibration performance of the MIR instrument was assessed.
• Validation experiments were conducted prior to field deployment.
• The study provides a basis for comparing various GNSS-R techniques and signals.

Conclusions:

• The MIR instrument is a versatile tool for GNSS-R research and development.
• The instrument's capabilities support the evaluation of advanced passive reflectometry systems.
• This work contributes to the understanding and optimization of GNSS-R technology for Earth observation.