Small, shoebox-sized satellites, flying in formation around Earth, could estimate the planet’s reflected energy with twice the accuracy of traditional satellites, and significantly improve climate projections, according to a new study led by an Indian-origin scientist.
If done right, such satellite swarms could also be cheaper to build, launch and maintain, researchers said.
led by Sreeja Nag, a former graduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), researchers simulated the performance of a single large, orbiting satellite with nine sensors, compared with a cluster of three to eight small, single-sensor satellites flying together around Earth.