Ohio university’s first satellite prepares for launch
COLUMBUS, Ohio: Its name may playfully give homage to a 1980s video arcade game, but the technology on board The Ohio State University’s first satellite — the CubeRRT — could be vital for Earth science missions into the future. It is scheduled for launch on May 20 (May 21 in Malaysia).
Testing was completed at Blue Canyon Technologies, followed by delivery for integration.
Project leader Joel Johnson, professor and chair of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) at Ohio State, said the CubeSat Radiometer Radio Frequency Interference Technology Validation mission (CubeRRT) contains advanced sensors for observing Earth’s environment from space.
The Ohio State team named the CubeRRT satellite after “Q*bert,” one of the most popular video arcade games of the 1980s.
The technology on board is designed to solve a major problem for researchers by breaking through noisy radio transmissions that can interfere with efforts to detect from space what’s happening on Earth. Johnson explained that Earth emits natural microwave frequencies, which scientists study with sensors called radiometers.
The data from these sensors helps determine soil moisture, sea temperature, sea ice coverage, weather and much more.
As the need for wireless services worldwide continues to increase, Johnson said, the growth of man-made radio transmissions is making it increasingly difficult to detect Earth’s natural microwave radiation. This influx is called radio frequency interference, or RFI.
“The problem is only getting worse over time,” Johnson said.
“The spectrum is getting more and more crowded, due to the continued rapid growth in demand for wireless services.”