Ionospheric Scintillation Observations via FPGA-based Miniature Software-Defined Radio on CubeSats: Mission Concept

Satellite Automatic Identification System Instrument (SAISI), a developing CubeSat project, hosts a FPGA-based Miniature Software-Defined Radio (MSDR) transceiver in Low Earth Orbit, enabling the implementation of a space-based AIS (Automatic Identification System) system. In this study, we propose implementing the GMSK modulation onto very high frequency radio signals for monitoring ionospheric scintillations as the second scientific mission of SAISI. Ionospheric scintillation occurs when a signal passes through small-scale irregularities in the ionosphere, causing fluctuations in both the power and phase of the signal. We employ the spread spectrum technique to resist the possible power losses of satellite signals, and to ensure the fidelity of the CubeSat signals for monitoring ionospheric scintillations. Additionally, we also propose a CubeSat constellation that can provide a better regional coverage for ionospheric scintillation studies in Taiwan.