The flexible microwave payload -2: design, implementation, and optimization of a GNSS-R and radiometry processor for cubesat-based earth observation missions

The Flexible Microwave Payload 2 (FMPL-2) is a Remote Sensing payload carried on board 3 Cat-5/A, one of the two 6-unit CubeSats of the FSSCat mission. FMPL-2 is a payload based on a Software Defined Radio (SDR), integrating two instruments in a single platform: a multi-constellation (GPS and Galileo) Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometer (GNSS-R), and a Total Power Radiometer (TPR) with Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) detection and mitigation capabilities. This paper focuses on the description of the software developed for the platform, with a detailed description on the optimizations used for the two instruments. This work was supported by the ESA S3 challenge award (FSSCat project) 2017 Copernicus Masters overall winner, by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, ’’Sensing with Pioneering Opportunistic Techniques", grant RTI2018-099008-B-C21, by the Unidad de Excelencia Maria de Maeztu MDM-2016-0600, and by the ICREA Academia award by the Generalitat de Catalunya.