SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The ionosphere is a dynamic and enigmatic region of Earthrsquo;s atmosphere that can absorb, bend, reflect, and distort radio frequency (RF) waves. To guard against deleterious effectsnbsp;that this environment might havenbsp;on vital systems, measurements are routinely taken and used to predict and mitigate the ionospherersquo;s effect on RF signals. However, there exists gaps of data over the open ocean where instruments cannot be fielded. ReflecTEC is a space-borne instrument that will fill this measurement gap by providing measurements of the vertical Total Electron Content (TEC) over the open ocean. Additionally, this TEC data will be ~1,000 times more accurate than existing data from GNSS signals of opportunity. ReflecTEC is a revolutionary space instrument that will transform the oceans from data-starved to data-rich regions.
