SATELLITE CONSTELLATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMBINED AVIATION AND WEATHER SURVEILLANCE
A global airspace surveillance system is disclosed that includes a plurality of satellites that receive weather information from GNSS satellites, and that derive air traffic information from air traffic via satellite antennas directed toward earth's horizon.
1 . A global airspace surveillance system comprising a plurality of satellites that derive weather information from GNSS satellites, and that receive air traffic information from air traffic via satellite antennas directed toward earth's horizon.
2 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the air traffic information includes ADS-B signals.
3 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes an antenna that is directed toward an earth horizon.
4 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes an antenna that is not directed in a nadir direction.
5 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes a series dipole antenna.
6 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the antenna that is directed toward an earth horizon is directed along an angle range of no more than about 60 degrees from horizontal at each respective satellite.
7 . A method of providing a global airspace surveillance system, said method comprising providing a plurality of satellites, deriving weather information from GNSS satellites, and receiving air traffic information from air traffic via satellite antennas directed toward earth's horizon.
8 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the air traffic information includes ADS-B signals.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes an antenna that is directed toward an earth horizon.
10 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes an antenna that is not directed in a nadir direction.
11 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes a series dipole antenna.
12 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the antenna that is directed toward an earth horizon is directed along an angle range of no more than about 60 degrees from horizontal at each respective satellite.
13 . A global airspace surveillance system comprising a plurality of satellites that each include at least one antenna that is directed along a beam direction of earth's horizon at an angle of no more than about 60 degrees from horizontal at each respective satellite.
14 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes an antenna that is not directed in a nadir direction.
15 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites includes a series dipole antenna.
16 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of satellites derives weather information from GNSS satellites, and receives air traffic information from air traffic.
17 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the air traffic information includes ADS-B signals.
18 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the system provides a single system, including a satellite constellation (space segment) and ground stations and data processing (ground segment) that may be used to perform global, real-time, unified traffic and weather surveillance.
19 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the system includes a satellite constellation (space segment) and ground stations and data processing (ground segment) may be used to collect simultaneously ADS-B signals from aircraft and radio occultation signals from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, which are both in the L-band of radio frequencies.
20 . The global airspace surveillance system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the system provides gapless surveillance coverage, within their respective field of views of the earth, by using a satellite couplet concept, wherein the spacecraft are placed in the same orbit, and spaced slightly apart, in the in-track direction, such that the antenna beam footprint of each spacecraft covers the cone of silence of the other spacecraft.