Using cubesats as platforms for remote sensing with satellite navigation signals

GNSS are now being used for more than just location and navigation. Using GNSS remote sensing technology such as GNSS radio occultation and GNSS reflectometry, advanced GNSS receivers could not only precisely calculate position, but also study the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land surface, ice, etc. Also, CubeSats attract a wide range of applications for scientific use, including GNSS remote sensing. The paper discusses the possibility and research challenges of using miniaturised space-borne GNSS receivers accommodated and operated on a CubeSat bus to achieve those scientific observations. Efforts by ACSER, including its “UNSW EC0” 2U CubeSat and space qualified GNSS receiver design, are also presented.