Resources

Resources

What is Propagation?

Radio propagation is the transmission, including reflection, of a radio wave in a specific direction through a medium. Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation (EM) and pass through free space, the ionosphere, air, and even solid materials. The reflections of the EM waves are affected by charged particles, such as electrons, in the ionosphere. As such, having a knowledge of how the ionosphere varies can help us understand how radio waves will propagate.

What is NVIS?

NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) is a propagation technique used to bridge the gap when a ground wave signal is too weak and the skip zone has ended. NVIS uses lower frequencies to maintain a signal over a short distance. The maximum usable frequencies for NVIS are in the range between 1.8 and 15 MHz. NVIS is most useful in mountainous areas where line-of-sight propagation at VHF or UHF frequencies is ineffective or when the communication distance is beyond ground-wave (more than 50 miles, 80 km) and less than sky-wave (300 to 1500 miles, 500 to 2500 km).

Websites:
USU Space Weather Center
The Utah State University Space Weather Center provides news and updates to the progress of the real-time space weather innovations they are developing. They have developed several models that are used by Q-up to provide the resources available here.

Q-up Partners
Space Environment Technologies (SET) - http://spacewx.com
Space Environment Corporation (SEC) - http://spacenv.com

Space Weather Resources
Space Weather Now - http://spacewx.com/Space_Weather_Now.html
NASA Space Weather - http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov
NOAA Space Weather - http://swpc.noaa.gov
Earth Ionosphere and TEC - http://iono.jpl.nasa.gov
LASP/CU Space Environment Information - http://lasp.colorado.edu
Space Weather at Earth - http://www.windows.ucar.edu/spaceweather
NOAA Data Archive - http://ngdc.noaa.gov/ngdc.html
GSFC Data Archive - http://umbra.gsfc.nasa.gov/sdac.html
NASA ISTP - http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp
Satellite Failure Listing - http://www.sat-index.com.uk/failures

Recommended Apps:
SpaceWX App - Available for both Android (Free) and iOS ($1.99)

Recommended Books

1. Understanding Space Weather and the Physics Behind It, Delores Knipp, Learning Solutions, ISBN 0-073-408905, 2011. $85 (Amazon; estimated)
2. Space Mission Engineering: The New SMAD, Wertz/Everett/Puschell, Microcosm Press, ISBN 1-881-883159, 2011. $72.
3. The Space Environment, Alan C. Tribble, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-102996, 2003. $45 (SB; estimated)
4. The Space Environment, Alan C. Tribble, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-03454-0, 1995. $85 (HB, estimated) – out of date.
5. Space Weather & Telecommunications, John M. Goodman, Springer, ISBN 0-387-23670-8 (hc), 2005 $159 (estimated); ISBN 0-387-236716 (eBook), 2005, $??? (estimated)
6. Spacecraft-Environment Interactions, Daniel Hastings and Henry Garrett, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-47128-1 (hc), 1996;ISBN 0-521-60756-6 (pb), 2004, $65 (estimated)
7. Introduction to the Space Environment, 2nd Edition, Thomas F. Tascione, Krieger Publishing Company, ISBN 0-89464-044-5, 1994. $37 (estimated)
8. Space Weather, Paul Song, Howard J. Singer, and George L. Siscoe(eds), American Geophysical Union, Geophysical Monograph 125, ISBN 0-87590-984-1, 2001. $85 (estimated)
9. Theory of Planetary Atmospheres, J.W. Chamberlin and D.M. Hunten, Academic Press, Inc., NY, 1987. ISBN 0-12-167252-2
10. Aeronomy, (Parts A and B), P.M. Banks and G. Kockarts, Academic Press, NY, 1973.
11. Solar Interior and Atmosphere, Ed. A.N. Cox, W.C. Livingston, M.S. Matthews, Univ. of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1991. ISBN 0-8165-1229-9
12. The Sun in Time, Ed. C.P. Sonett, M.S. Giampapa, M.S. Matthews, Univ. ofArizona Press, Tucson, 1991. ISBN 0-8165-1297-3
13. The National Space Weather Program, The Implementation Plan 2nd Edition, National Space Weather Program Council, Office of theFederal Coordinator for Meteorology, FCM-P31-2000, 2000. (minimal cost)
14. Report of the Assessment Committee for the National Space WeatherProgram, Office of the Federal Coordinator for MeteorologicalServices and Supporting Research (OFCM), FCM-R24-2006, 2006. (minimal cost)
15. Radiation Hazard in Space, Leonty I. Miroshnichenko, Kluwer, Astrophysics and Space Science Library, Vol. 297, ISBN 1-40201538-0, 2003. $85 (estimated)
16. Solar Cosmic Rays, Leonty I. Miroshnichenko, Kluwer, Astrophysicsand Space Science Library, Vol. 260, ISBN 0-7923-6928-9, 2001. $165 (estimated)
17. Handbook of Geophysics and the Space Environment, Adolph S. Jursa(ed), Air Force Geophysics Laboratory, AF Systems Command, USAF, 1985. (minimal cost -can obtain a copy from NationalTechnical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161; document accession number ADA 167000).
18. Allen's Astrophysical Quantities, Arthur N. Cox, Springer/Verlag, ISBN 0-387-98746-0, 2000. $99
19. Guide to Reference and Standard Ionosphere Models, American National Standard G-034-1998, ANSI/AIAA, AIAA, ISBN 1-56347347-X, 1999. $40 (estimated; free to AIAA members)
20. Guide to Reference and Standard Atmosphere Models, American National Standard G-003B-2004, BSR/AIAA, AIAA, ISBN 1-56347195-7, 2003. $40 (estimated; free to AIAA members)
21. Guide to Modeling Earth’s Trapped Radiation Environment, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, AIAA G-083-1999, ISBN 156347-349-6, 2003. $40 (estimated; free to AIAA members)
22. Contemporary Models of the Orbital Environment, American Instituteof Aeronautics and Astronautics, AIAA SP-069-1994, 1994. $40 (estimated; free to AIAA members)
23. The Extra-Terrestrial Space Environment reference chart, AIAA SP078, 2007 (free to class members at midterm and final exams; $5.95 for shipping to non-USC locations – email request to spacenvironment@spacenvironment.net for payment arrangements).
24. Bothmer, Daglis, Space Weather, Springer-Praxis, 2006. (HC) $190. 25) Pisacane, The Space Environment and Its Effects on Space Systems (AIAAEducation Series), AIAA, 2008. (HC) $95.