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The first global GNSS-Reflectometry ocean wind data service has been launched by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) together with partner the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), and with support from the European Space Agency. The data service is free and is hosted on the website www.merrbys.co.uk where users can access measurements of wind taken by a specially designed Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receiver hosted on SSTL’s TechDemoSat-1 satellite, which collects GNSS signals, such as GPS, reflected off the surface of the ocean. TechDemoSat-1 is also collecting GNSS reflections off land and Polar Regions, opening the door for new applications of this technology, such as soil moisture and ice measurements. TechDemoSat-1 was launched in 2014 and carried 8 payloads from different UK organisations.On successful completion of the satellite’s original mission, a life extension now allows the GNSS Reflectometry payload to be operated 24/7 continuously. www.sstl.co.uk
