NASA is set to launch four new CubeSats to test next-generation earth science technology in space.
The team from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) particularly wants to look into new methods of detecting and disposing radio frequency interference (RFI) caused by televisions and other devices that function through microwave frequencies.
Power In A Cube
There is so much to learn about the Earth that studying it on the surface is just not enough. To get better information about the planet, experts need to look from the outside to understand the planet in its entirety.
Space missions have provided scientists tons of data that helped pave the way for technology advancements and breakthrough discoveries. However, sending spaceships, astronauts and even unmanned space devices to continue data collection is not an easy task.
Scientists need to test these devices for accuracy and efficiency in a space-like environment where it is meant to function. Fortunately, CubeSats were invented to make all these possible.
CubeSats are small satellites that provide a platform for different NASA missions to be conducted, such as space explorations and scientific observations.
NASA recently announced the launch of 13 CubeSats into deep space to aid missions, and because these devices are so useful, the agency decided to launch four more projects in the lower part of the Earth's orbit with the aid of these tiny yet powerful cubes.
Four In The Frontline
The four new CubeSats that NASA will launch will try to make vast improvements in space studies. Each CubeSat measures 4 x 8 x 12 inches (10 x 20 x 30 centimeters).
The CubeSat Radiometer Radio Frequency Interference Technology Validation will look for and try to mitigate RFI. Obtaining adequate information may help experts address the shortcomings of existing mitigation strategies so that future Earth observation missions will be able to collect better quality radiometer information.
The Compact Infrared Radiometer in Space will be used to assess device performance in the low-Earth orbit. The project will try to calibrate instruments and verify the efficiency of data-processing formulas. Having several of these satellites will help banish the need for larger and more complicated satellites.
The CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder will try to improve the way weather forecasting is performed on Earth. The satellite will help scientists develop a tiny system that resembles water vapor and temperature features of satellites found in the lower atmosphere.
Lastly, the Precipitation Profiling Radar in a CubeSat will be the pioneer on the platform and will also aid in improving weather forecasting on Earth.
All For The Future Of Space
"Most Earth science phenomena measurements can be improved by sustained observations with increased spatial and temporal resolution," says NASA JPL's Charles Norton. He adds that testing these new satellites today will help scientists obtain accurate measurements in the future.
