Lawrence E. Young - La Canada CA Jeffrey M. Srinivasan - Glendale CA Thomas K. Meehan - Glendale CA Timothy N. Munson - La Crescenta CA George H. Purcell - Pasadena CA Jess B. Thomas - La Canada CA Courtney B. Duncan - La Canada CA
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC
International Classification:
G01S 1386 G01S 1389
US Classification:
342 52
Abstract:
This is a system for measuring ocean surface currents from an airborne platform. A radar system having two spaced antennas wherein one antenna is driven and return signals from the ocean surface are detected by both antennas is employed to get raw ocean current data which is saved for later processing. There are a pair of GPS systems including a first antenna carried by the platform at a first location and a second antenna carried by the platform at a second location displaced from the first antenna for determining the position of the antennas from signals from orbiting GPS navigational satellites. This data is also saved for later processing. The saved data is subsequently processed by a ground-based computer system to determine the position, orientation, and velocity of the platform as well as to derive measurements of currents on the ocean surface.