U.S. Commercial SAR Scatterometry for OSVW and TCI Data Collection

The goal of this project is to design a SAR sensor and satellite and a geophysical retrieval algorithm to measure ocean surface vector winds (OSVW) and Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) using commercially available synthetic aperture radar. Capella has proven that commercial spaceborne synthetic aperture radar can be deployed affordably and provide frequent measurements using a constellation of satellites. We will bring the approaches we have developed to build a commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) constellation to provide frequent and timely ocean surface vector wind measurements to address the need for operational environmental monitoring in relevant environments. Capella's Phase 1 work has shown such an approach is feasible, and we have refined the trade space and approach towards such a system of sensors.  Capella will capitalize on our expertise designing and operating a SAR constellation to design a COSAS-specific satellite constellation and associated collection/revisit/data-processing concept of operations. The COSAS architecture will ensure an operationally reactive Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, Dissemination (TCPED) architecture capable of collecting OSVW data at low latency rates and downlinking the data from the sensor to Capella’s ground segment for rapid processing and dissemination to the warfighter.  Phase II will recommend tuned GMFs for the optimal payload using the method established in Phase I and use these tuned geophysical model function (GMF) to compute requirements for the sensor. The preliminary design of the optimal payload shall comprise computer aided design (CAD) renderings, detailed drawings, specifications, and other documents defining the instrument and its supporting subsystems in sufficient detail to enable prototyping of the flight instrument in Phase III. The Phase II end item data package (??EIDP) shall consist of a final report including the preliminary design of the optimal payload and details of the validated GMF with a tuning process easily mapped to the future flight payload.