Veery Constellation

Quick facts

Overview

Summary

Mission Capabilities

The Veery constellation will deploy a compact scatterometer, planned for use in later models of the constellation. The instrument is a rotating fan beam scatterometer that will conduct observations of ocean wind speed and direction, global soil moisture content and sea ice coverage. Models launched prior to 2024 do not carry any instruments, in line with Care Weather’s process of iterative development.

Performance Specifications

The Veery compact scatterometer will use a body-spun scanning technique, transmitting 30 W C-band radio signals. It has a swath width of 1200 km and a spatial resolution of 25 km which can be processed to 6 km using supplementary imagery from other satellites in the constellation. Veery aims to achieve global coverage every three hours, with initial constellation results suggesting this could be achieved by 8 - 12 satellites.
The first Veery pathfinder mission was deployed into an orbit with an altitude of 550 km and an inclination of 45°, while all other existing and planned missions have an altitude of 550 km and an inclination of 97°.

Space and Hardware Components

The Veery constellation uses a 1U form factor cubesat bus for every iteration of the satellite, as well as differential drag panels, which employ the friction of Earth’s atmosphere for in orbit manoeuvres. Veery constellation data is downlinked to the Care Weather mobile ground station, located in Provo, Utah, USA.
 

Overview

The Veery Constellation is a cubesat weather satellite constellation that is being designed, developed and deployed by the US-based company Care Weather. The first satellites launched were Veery-FS1, Veery-RL1 and Veery-0E. Veery-FS1 is a pathfinder mission with 6 iterations (minimally improved/changed variations launched separately), while Veery-RL1 is a technology demonstration mission for Care Weather’s vertically integrated satellite power, computing and on-board avionics system with 4 iterations. Also currently in orbit is Veery-0E, another technology demonstration mission with five iterations. The Veery constellation aims to provide extremely low cost monitoring of global ocean winds, soil moisture and sea ice with high spatial and temporal resolution. This will be achieved through a constellation of 50 cubesats operating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), each equipped with a scatterometer - a surface-sensing radar. There are also two supplementary missions in the constellation, Veery-0F, which will demonstrate measurements of ocean surface wind speed and test deployable solar arrays, and Veery-1A, which is planned to be Care Weather’s first fully featured weather satellite system.

Spacecraft

All of the Veery Constellation cubesats are, up to the larger Veery-1A model, 1U form factor microsatellites. The spacecraft will not house an onboard propulsion system, instead utilising the slight air resistance of the thin atmosphere at LEO to apply a differential drag force to the satellite, gradually altering its orbit. The cubesats have an expected orbital lifetime of 2 - 5 years.

The first launched Veery satellite, Veery-RL1, tested a custom flight computer, as well as many core satellite functions, including the onboard battery, solar cells and drag panels. Veery-RL1 carries a 9 A-hr onboard battery, with a launch mass of 0.9 kg, a data rate of 1 kbps and a 80 MHz processor speed, as well as a 1 W solar cell.

The second Veery test satellite, Veery-FS1, shown in Figure 2, was intended to test improved software for communications, telemetry, data logging and pointing control, as well as a faster radio, magnetorquers, deployable drag and tracking panels, a deployable antenna and further miniaturised satellite systems. The satellite bus had a launch mass of 0.23 kg, with a 1.5 A-hr capacity onboard battery and 0.63 W solar cells, as well as a 10 kbps data rate and 80 MHz processor speed. 4) 11)

The third satellite to be launched, Veery-0E, has a launch mass of 1.3 kg with a 3.2 A-hr battery capacity and carries a 2 W solar cell. The satellite bus has a data rate of 10 kbps, with a processor speed of 80 MHz. Veery-0E is testing a high voltage radar power system, an amateur radio payload and a space-ready GPS.

Veery-0F is planned to have a launch mass of 1 kg, with an onboard battery capacity of 3.2 A-hr, a data rate of 100 kbps and a processing speed of 1 GHz, as well as a 4 W solar power capacity. The other planned Veery mission, Veery-1A is planned to use a 0.1 m x 0.5 m x 1.0 m spacecraft bus with a 10 kg launch mass, 32 A-hr onboard battery capacity, 1000 Mbps data rate and 1 GHz processing speed, as well as 50 W solar cells.

Launch

Veery aims to achieve 3-hourly coverage, with initial constellation results and simulations suggesting this could be achieved by between 8 to 12 satellites. The two planned Veery missions, Veery-0F and Veery-1A, will both operate in an orbit of altitude 550 km, with an orbit inclination of 97°.

Mission Status

• March 5, 2024: Veery-0E was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Veery-0E is another technology demonstration mission that will include an amateur radio payload. 7)
• October 31, 2022: Care Weather reported that the Veery-FS1 antenna had failed to deploy, meaning contact with the ground station could not be established. Veery-FS1 is presumed active, but cannot be communicated with. 4) 11)
• May 26, 2022: Veery-FS1, a technology demonstration satellite, was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Veery-FS1 aimed to test improved software, satellite pointing mechanisms and a deployable antenna. 11)
• March 23, 2021: The first Veery pathfinder satellite, Veery-RL1, was launched aboard a Rocket Lab ELectron launch vehicle. Four iterations of this model, which carries only the most basic satellite components and no onboard instrument, were deployed. 12)
• February 17, 2021: Care Weather won a $50,000  Small Business Technology Transfer Phase 1 contract with the US Air Force. Under this contract, Care Weather will develop the Veery scatterometer constellation, and can compete for a further $750,000 Phase 2 contract upon the completion of their Phase 1 project. 2)

Sensor Complement

Compact Scatterometer

The Veery constellation will use a rotating fan beam scatterometer to conduct its intended weather observations of global ocean wind speed and direction, soil moisture content and sea ice coverage. The first Veery mission planned to carry this instrument is Veery-1A. This instrument is able to observe the characteristics of the Earth’s surface by profiling the degree to which the observed area scatters and reflects 5 GHz radio waves. Veery-1A will use a body-spun scanning method, spinning about the spacecraft’s nadir and transmitting a 30 W C-band pulse, conically scanning a 1200 km swath with a 25 km x 420 km footprint. Veery-1A is currently expected to provide imagery with a spatial resolution of 25 km, which can be reprocessed to 6 km with supplementary imagery provided the constellation. The Veery scatterometer is expected to have a speed error of ± 1.6 m/s, with a pointing error of ± 11°.

Ground Segment

Care Weather will use its Nest 1 mobile ground station in Provo, Utah, USA for the Veery constellation. The system will use the 137 MHz - 138 MHz for space to Earth transmissions, and the 148 MHz - 149.9 MHz band for Earth to space transmissions.

References  

1) “CARE WEATHER TECHNOLOGIES FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY.” Federal Communications Commission, URL: https://fcc.report/ELS/Care-Weather-Technologies/0997-EX-ST-2020

2) “Care Weather Technologies Wins Air Force Contract.” Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, URL: https://business.utah.gov/innovation-center/care-weather-technologies-wins-air-force-award/

3) Kulu, Erik. “Care Weather - Satellite Constellation.” NewSpace Index, 31 July 2023, URL: https://www.newspace.im/constellations/care-weather

4) Kulu, Erik. “Hatchling (Canary Hatchling, Veery FS-1, Orion, VEERY-FS1).” Nanosats Database, URL: https://www.nanosats.eu/sat/hatchling

5) Kulu, Erik. “Veery Hatchling (Veery-RL1, Veery V0.1, Clay).” Nanosats Database, URL: https://www.nanosats.eu/sat/hatchling-veery

6) “Satellite Missions.” Care Weather, URL: https://careweather.com/tech

7) “Veery-0E Mission Detail.” Care Weather, URL: https://careweather.com/mission/veery-0e-1616108758685x747763514956701000

8) “Veery 0E (Veery v0.3, Fledgling Veery Ectobius) - Gunter's Space Page.” Gunter's Space Page, 5 March 2024, URL: https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/veery_v0-3.htm

9) “Veery-0F Mission Detail.” Care Weather, URL: https://careweather.com/mission/veery-0f-1711555698473x441232934324686800

10) “Veery-1A Mission Detail.” Care Weather, URL: https://careweather.com/mission/veery-1a-1681832281149x401303105855237400

11) “Veery-FS1 Mission Detail.” Care Weather, URL: https://careweather.com/mission/veery-fs1-1616109923953x142756869424226500

12) “Veery-RL1 Mission Detail.” Care Weather, URL: https://careweather.com/mission/veery-rl1-1615347564369x827669778420672500

13) Walton, Patrick, et al. “Veery—The Small Satellite Scatterometer.” Brigham Young University, URL: https://mdc.coaps.fsu.edu/scatterometry/meeting/docs/2023/Walton_IOVWST_2023.pdf