Out of this world: How semiconductor technology enables environmental research from space | TI.com
Summary
How did frost in a pine forest followed by a storm front bringing heavy rain lead to a sudden influx of silt in a harbor hundreds of miles away? But thanks to the increasing accessibility of earth-observation satellites, scientists and policymakers can look at Earth from above to unravel the symbiotic relationships between geology, meteorology and ecology. “By using a combination of all these different sensors from space, we can recreate a bigger, better view of the world around us,” said Laura Mueller, director of Aerospace and Defense at our company. The size of the radar antenna, or aperture, enables more precise measurements of objects like sea level or ice pack thickness. “By taking advantage of how satellites move along their orbit, we can create a virtual or synthetic aperture that’s effectively several kilometers in length, with a physical antenna that’s actually much smaller,” Jason said.