Description: The ionosphere is a dynamic and enigmatic region of Earth’s atmosphere that can absorb, bend, reflect, and distort radio frequency (RF) waves. To guard against deleterious effects that this environment might have on vital systems, measurements are routinely taken and used to predict and mitigate the ionosphere’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.

Benefits: The ReflecTEC instrument can provide high quality data from any orbital platform. As such it could be a singular payload on a cubesat through a NASA program such as a H-FORT, LCAS, or the soon-to-be-released TechFlights. It could also be a hosted payload on a larger satellite mission such as NASA GDC. Once operational, we plan to sell the data back to NASA through their CSDA program.

A detailed 5 step commercialization plan is detailed in the proposal. We expect to transition away from NASA funding at the third or fourth stage where we would provide Data as a Service (DaaS). ReflecTEC can be useful for specifying the ionosphere in real time. We would sell this data to NOAA through their CWDP program as well as the Air Force and Space Force through their CWDP programs.