New Systems for Space Based Monitoring of Ionospheric Irregularities and Radio Wave Scintillations

Abstract

The ionosphere has long been known to be the primary source of amplitude and phase fluctuations for VHF, UHF, and L-Band radio waves. Monitoring ionospheric irregularities that affect radio propagation is currently being implemented using in situ, radio and optical sensors on satellites in low-earth orbit (LEO). The remote sensing instruments provide observations of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emissions or total electron content (TEC) to reconstruct images of electron densities. The GPS MET satellite has provided a global description of the ionosphere using GPS occultation from space. The ARGOS satellite launched in February 1999 has produced new images of the ionosphere using both EUV limb scanning and computerized ionospheric tomography (CIT) techniques. Recent measurements from the ARGOS satellite have provided data for improved modeling of both global scale and small-scale structures in the ionosphere. Future satellite sensors will be launched with EUV limb scanners, GPS occultation receivers, radio beacons for CIT, and beacon receivers for global mapping of ionospheric scintillations. These satellites will be placed in a variety of orbit inclinations to cover the equatorial, mid-latitude, and polar ionospheres.