Polarimetric Gnss Radio-Occultations Aboard Paz: Commissioning Phase and Preliminary Results

The experiment called Radio-Occultation and Heavy Precipitation aboard PAZ (ROHP-PAZ) is the first attempt to perform spaceborne polarimetric radio-occultations (PRO) with signals transmitted by the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The GNSS payload aboard PAZ, initially intended for precise orbit determination, was extended with a dedicated two-polarization Radio-Occultation (RO) antenna pointing to the limb of the Earth and the receiver was upgraded to track occulting signals. The experiment is a proof-of-concept for heavy rain measurements using polarimetric GNSS RO. The PAZ satellite was launched in February 22, 2018. Preliminary results from the commissioning phase will be presented.