FORMOSAT-7 - Using a Small Satellite Constellation and Ground Network for Weather Monitoring

摘要

The role of small satellites in operational meteorology is being increasingly considered, and can potentially provide high impact on certain aspects of weather forecasting. Such systems can provide important additional information addressing specific geographic regions, or address some very specific applications at a suitable price point. This capability has become possible due to innovative payload and measurement techniques, technology miniaturisation, and the availability of reliable small satellite technology used in constellations. FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 is planned as fully operational satellite constellation to continue the provision of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) data to the global users. The mission aims to collect atmospheric and ionospheric soundings globally through a constellation system of 12 satellites, providing high temporal resolution and high data quality. The ground system and design is an important consideration in this system in order to obtain measurement data in time for the meteorological forecasting cycle. This paper provides an overview of the spacecraft design, and the trades which were carried out to achieve the necessary system design and performance.