An SDR Mission Measuring UHF Signal Propagation and Interference between Small Satellites in LEO and Arctic Sensors

Enabling communication to sensor systems in the Arctic is a challenge due to the harsh climate, limited infrastructure and its remote location. In this paper a communication system for Arctic back-haul serving low- power devices to complement existing services is discussed and two small satellite missions are defined. The communication mission objective is to provide Arctic researchers with faster access to scientific data. However, a precursor mission is needed to gather data about the UHF communication channel and interference in the Arctic to design a reliable communication system between Arctic sensors and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites. An SDR (Software Defined Radio) payload is proposed to fly on a small satellite as a secondary payload in order to carry out the radio measurements in a flexible way. The challenges of being a secondary payload are also outlined