Microwave Radiometer for Advanced Nanosatellite Control Systems

Microwave radiometers measure temperature, water vapor, and cloud ice in the atmosphere, since oxygen and water vapor naturally emit signals in the microwave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. These signals are measured at different heights and are used to make 3D images of hurricanes, tropical storms, and thunderstorms. The NanoRacks-Microsized Microwave Atmospheric Satellite (NanoRacks-MicroMAS) measures temperature from molecular oxygen. NanoRacks-MicroMAS is a small, low-cost CubeSat containing a miniaturized microwave scanner that paves the way for future constellations of similar satellites, gathering more detailed, more frequent images of severe weather that impacts people on Earth. NanoRacks CubeSats are delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) already integrated within a NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD).