MiRaTA [MIT]
MiRaTA (Microwave Radiometer Technology Acceleration), is a three-unit CubeSat being developed by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Mission to demonstrate a multi-band miniaturized microwave radiometer to image tropical storms, hurricanes, and cyclones, paired with an experimental calibration method using GPS radio occultation. A slow pitch up/down maneuver will be executed once per orbit to permit the radiometer and GPSRO observations to sound overlapping volumes of atmosphere through the Earth's limb, where sensitivity, calibration, and dynamic range are optimal. These observations will be compared to radiosondes, global high-resolution analysis fields, other satellite observations, and with each other using radiative transfer models.
MiRaTA mission is to:
The payload consists of a microwave radiometer, a tri-band atmospheric sounder and a compact TEC (Total Electron Count) / atmospheric GPS sensor (CTAGS)
MiRaTA was selected in 2014 for launch with NASA’s ELaNa program.
It was launched on the ELaNa-14 mission.
Nation: | USA |
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Type / Application: | Earth observation, technology |
Operator: | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Lincoln Laboratory |
Contractors: | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Lincoln Laboratory |
Equipment: | microwave radiometer, tri-band atmospheric sounder, compact TEC (Total Electron Count) / atmospheric GPS sensor (CTAGS) |
Configuration: | CubeSat (3U) |
Propulsion: | None |
Power: | 2 deployable fixed solar arrays, batteries |
Lifetime: | 90 days |
Mass: | 5.5 kg |
Orbit: | 455 km × 818 km, 97.7° |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MiRaTA | 2017-073C | 18.11.2017 | Va SLC-2W | Delta-7920-10C | with JPSS 1, Buccaneer RMM, EagleSat, RadFxSat (Fox 1B), MakerSat 0 |