SeaCubeRadar Altimeter for CubeSats

Buseks SeaCube project brings ocean altimetry to a compact and cost effective CubeSat platforma capability currently limited to an aging and vulnerable fleet of costly conventional satellites. A constellation of SeaCube altimeters will provide near real time sea height data across all of Earths oceans, bringing a new and powerful capability to the Navy or commercial shipping. Additionally this capability will transform oceanographic forecasting, provide input and validation for future predictive models and hence make real contributions to the naval warfighter. SeaCube is made possible by a novel system design incorporating innovative broadband antenna array technology, compact high power density storage systems, and modern microwave electronics. The concomitant dramatic size and cost reduction allows rapid deployment, low cost development, rapid upgrade cycles, and large constellations with simultaneous measurements of sea state in multiple locations. The fundamental feasibility of SeaCube design was validated during the Phase 1. Critical items were bread boarded in the Phase 1 Option thus greatly reducing Phase 2 risks. Phase 2 baseline effort will focus on upgrading the SeaCube from wave height to mean sea level measurement. In the Phase 2 Option the system will progress to a bras board version, system integration and testing.