Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FlyRadar (Low-frequency multi-mode (SAR and penetrating) radar onboard light-weight UAV for Earth and Planetary exploration)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-02-01 bis 2023-01-31
EU-funded FlyRadar project targets the development of a low-frequency radar system to be mounted onboard a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle.
Scientific, technical and business oriented objectives:
-Fuse and jointly apply the comparative knowledge of the participants on radar data
-Cross-sector collaboration to achieve ideal application of radar facility
-Validate and adapt a prototype using terrestrial analogues in relevant environments
-Sharing knowledge and jointly identify the economic feasibility and impact of the instrument for both space and non-space markets.
Training and mobility objectives:
-Push innovation through the development of an initial research and training network that will focus its activities on the development, effective integration and increased utilization of innovative radar and UAV technologies by joint activities.
-Provide researchers and professionals with the opportunity to go beyond the current state-of-the-art in geology and instrumentation for surface and subsurface analyses
-Support early career researchers and, hence, possibly continue and improve their careers at high profile universities
-Build up specific complementary and market-oriented skills to allow the European researchers and professionals to face the new challenge.
Scientific, technical and business oriented objectives:
-Fuse and jointly apply the comparative knowledge of the participants on radar data
-Cross-sector collaboration to achieve ideal application of radar facility
-Validate and adapt a prototype using terrestrial analogues in relevant environments
-Sharing knowledge and jointly identify the economic feasibility and impact of the instrument for both space and non-space markets.
Training and mobility objectives:
-Push innovation through the development of an initial research and training network that will focus its activities on the development, effective integration and increased utilization of innovative radar and UAV technologies by joint activities.
-Provide researchers and professionals with the opportunity to go beyond the current state-of-the-art in geology and instrumentation for surface and subsurface analyses
-Support early career researchers and, hence, possibly continue and improve their careers at high profile universities
-Build up specific complementary and market-oriented skills to allow the European researchers and professionals to face the new challenge.
IRSPS
The activity has been centred over the identification and analysis of several test areas to verify the scientific performance of the radar system and evaluate its capabilities in operational terms. The area of test was identified in Southern Morocco where the test of the precursor of FlyRadar have been performed. A few other sites in the Alps have been identified to perform short tests in order tom provide a fine-tunning of the system before the major tests in Morocco.
The consortium is disseminating and communicating the project’s results through the participation in conferences and workshops. The consortium has also agreed to participate to the EGU 2023 meeting with a talk. Training activities on the functioning of the Fly-Radar have been also carried out at UCBL. A summer school is planned to be held at IRSPS in 2023, as well as participation to research nights.
UCBL
The goal is developing knowledge and models of the Mars surface and subsurface environment. The Terrestrial analogues will be investigated to define the scientific and technical objects of the survey.
FlyRadar improved system that will operate at few tenth of m.in elevation onboard a drone will provide more precise and resolute data.
The instrument will be able to produce geolocalised radargrams and should have the possibility to operate in a large band of frequencies. On Mars, the energy for takeoff of a similar UAV is at least twice those on Earth.
CSFK
Survey and general evaluation of potential Martian targets were done, range of subsurface features identified in some dozen cases in the top 50-400 m depth range. Based on the survey and comparison of earlier gained radar and optical data, there is a knowledge gap in the shallow subsurface features (in the topmost 1-20 m deep layer). At high frequencies, the vertical resolution will be optimum but the penetration of the signal will be low in the underground.
CBK PAN
The qualification process has been separated into 5 parts. Radar sounding qualification was subject to three series of tests related to subsurface structure imaging, permittivity values and accuracy, and penetration depth. Drone Autonomy test for the drone have been designed, as well as environmental tests (temperature, stability after weighting by the radar).
HYPERION
The objective was to design and build a UAV system capable of carrying the mass and volume of the CORISTA-built SAR instrument and the low-frequency penetrating radar. The UAV has been designed, sized and built and is now operational. First integration tests of the GPR antennas are underway. The Final choice is the TUNDRA commercialized by Hexadrone.
CORISTA
Main radar requirements have been assessed and corresponding performance evaluated based on theoretical models and simulation. A bistatic configuration has been chosen. The radar system will have two operative modes, working as side-looking SAR and nadir-looking sounder. Electronic system design has been based on Ettus ReseachTM products, that offers a wide range of Software Defined Radio solutions combining ease of use and a robust open-source software community. The selected model is the E320.
The activity has been centred over the identification and analysis of several test areas to verify the scientific performance of the radar system and evaluate its capabilities in operational terms. The area of test was identified in Southern Morocco where the test of the precursor of FlyRadar have been performed. A few other sites in the Alps have been identified to perform short tests in order tom provide a fine-tunning of the system before the major tests in Morocco.
The consortium is disseminating and communicating the project’s results through the participation in conferences and workshops. The consortium has also agreed to participate to the EGU 2023 meeting with a talk. Training activities on the functioning of the Fly-Radar have been also carried out at UCBL. A summer school is planned to be held at IRSPS in 2023, as well as participation to research nights.
UCBL
The goal is developing knowledge and models of the Mars surface and subsurface environment. The Terrestrial analogues will be investigated to define the scientific and technical objects of the survey.
FlyRadar improved system that will operate at few tenth of m.in elevation onboard a drone will provide more precise and resolute data.
The instrument will be able to produce geolocalised radargrams and should have the possibility to operate in a large band of frequencies. On Mars, the energy for takeoff of a similar UAV is at least twice those on Earth.
CSFK
Survey and general evaluation of potential Martian targets were done, range of subsurface features identified in some dozen cases in the top 50-400 m depth range. Based on the survey and comparison of earlier gained radar and optical data, there is a knowledge gap in the shallow subsurface features (in the topmost 1-20 m deep layer). At high frequencies, the vertical resolution will be optimum but the penetration of the signal will be low in the underground.
CBK PAN
The qualification process has been separated into 5 parts. Radar sounding qualification was subject to three series of tests related to subsurface structure imaging, permittivity values and accuracy, and penetration depth. Drone Autonomy test for the drone have been designed, as well as environmental tests (temperature, stability after weighting by the radar).
HYPERION
The objective was to design and build a UAV system capable of carrying the mass and volume of the CORISTA-built SAR instrument and the low-frequency penetrating radar. The UAV has been designed, sized and built and is now operational. First integration tests of the GPR antennas are underway. The Final choice is the TUNDRA commercialized by Hexadrone.
CORISTA
Main radar requirements have been assessed and corresponding performance evaluated based on theoretical models and simulation. A bistatic configuration has been chosen. The radar system will have two operative modes, working as side-looking SAR and nadir-looking sounder. Electronic system design has been based on Ettus ReseachTM products, that offers a wide range of Software Defined Radio solutions combining ease of use and a robust open-source software community. The selected model is the E320.
The first half of the project has been devoted to the construction of the network and in deepening the relationships among the partners and hardware construction.
The science excellence impact is clearly measurable by the host of information contained in the deliverables of WPs 1, 2, and 6. These body of knowledge has been transformed in the requirements of about the hardware that has been successfully built. The building for the radar has been done taking into consideration the scientific necessities and has drowned the setting of the drone.
The economic prospective has been already partially tested by some reactions in oral and poster presentations given at several meetings.
The potential of the individuals has been put into test by the lively networking that has created a fruitful environment. Indication of the positive feedback are the two secondees of IRSPS that after their stages have been enroled in PhD programmes.
The global cooperation and the inspiration will be fully addressed in the second half of the project with the extensive campaign of tests and demonstrations and with the Final Conference.
The science excellence impact is clearly measurable by the host of information contained in the deliverables of WPs 1, 2, and 6. These body of knowledge has been transformed in the requirements of about the hardware that has been successfully built. The building for the radar has been done taking into consideration the scientific necessities and has drowned the setting of the drone.
The economic prospective has been already partially tested by some reactions in oral and poster presentations given at several meetings.
The potential of the individuals has been put into test by the lively networking that has created a fruitful environment. Indication of the positive feedback are the two secondees of IRSPS that after their stages have been enroled in PhD programmes.
The global cooperation and the inspiration will be fully addressed in the second half of the project with the extensive campaign of tests and demonstrations and with the Final Conference.