LOW-COST, MAN-PORTABLE REAL-TIME WEATHER SATELLITE DATA RECEIVING, PROCESSING AND DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

THIS STUDY WILL DEVELOP A SYSTEM CONFIGURATION FOR A REAL-TIME WEATHER SATELLITE TERMINAL THAT IS LOW-COST AND MAN-PORTABLE. LOW-COST IMPLIES COMMERCIAL OFF THE SHELF. COSTS CAN BE MINIMIZED BY MAXIMIZING THE USE OF PRODUCTS AND/OR COMPONENTS THAT ARE ALREADY COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE. LIFE CYCLE COSTS CAN BE MINIMIZED BY UTILIZING AN OPEN ARCHITECTURE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARD INTERFACES. MAN-PORTABLE IMPLIES LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOW POWER. SURVIVABILITY IN AN UNCONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT IS A DESIGN GOAL IN THE COURSE OF THIS STUDY WE WILL DEVELOP A SYSTEMS CONCEPT THAT MEETS THESE OBJECTIVES BY FIRST ESTABLISHING THE SYSTEM LEVEL REQUIREMENTS IMPLIED BY EACH OF THE POSSIBLE WEATHER SATELLITE SIGNAL SOURCES; POLAR ORBITING; ANALOG (APT), DIGITAL (HRPT), OTHER (TOVS); GEOSYNCHRONOUS; ANALOG (WEFAX), DIGITAL (VISSR), OTHER (MDD). THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL THEN BE ALLOCATED TO THE 4 MAJOR SUBSYSTEMS: 1) ANTENNA SUBSYSTEM, 2) RECEIVER SUBSYSTEM WITH PREPROCESSOR, 3) POWER SUBSYSTEM, AND 4) PROCESSING/DISPLAY/STORAGE SUBSYSTEM. THE RECEIVER (2) AND PROCESSING (4) SUBSYSTEMS FORM ONE 40 POUND PACKAGE WHILE THE POWER SYSTEM (3) FORMS ANOTHER 40 POUND PACKAGE. THESE CAN BE CARRIED ONE IN EACH HAND WHILE THE ANTENNA (1) COLLAPSES INTO A PACKAGE SMALL ENOUGH TO BE CARRIED ON THE BACK. THIS SYSTEM COULD BE USED AT FIELD LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE TO RECEIVE METEOROLOGICAL DATA FROM SATELLITES AND WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ADVANCED FORCES TO CARRY THEIR WEATHER SATELLITE RECEIVING CAPABILITY WITH THEM INTO THE FIELD. FOR A COMMERCIAL MARKETPLACE A SIMPLE, LIGHTWEIGHT AND RUGGED SYSTEM WOULD SUPPORT NON DEFENSE USES SUCH AS THE U.S. FIRE SERVICE, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, AND THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. PERHAPS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL IS IN UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES FOR PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY AND THE SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AS WELL AS VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURES, IE: ROADS, HARBORS, ETC.