REFLECTED GNSS SIGNALS RECEIVED ON UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE PLATFORM: A FEASIBILITY STUDY

For remote sensing purposes, the Earth’s surface can be characterized analysing the reflection of a signal generated from a dedicated sensor which, in turn, must receive the scattered waves. Among the possible choices, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals represent an innovative active source for the Earth remote sensing in L band. In this framework, we started the design of a GNSS-R (GNSSReflectometry) receiving system based on the N-Gene Navigation SW receiver, developed by the NavSas group of ISMB. Experimental characterization activities will be performed both on ground and on-board a small U.A.V (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) platform. Together with the system design, a feasibility study based on simulations was carried out to get ready the acquisition and processing stages for the future experimental campaign. Simulation results related to the retrieval of the geometrical delay and Doppler shifts expected on the reflected signal (under the hypothesis of specular scattering) are presented.