Project Idea
This project aims to improve the quality of astronomical observation data collected from a network of radio telescopes by synchronizing signals captured from different locations. It focuses on addressing signal loss or attenuation caused by interference, particularly from satellites crossing the telescope line of sight, by using a calibration technique based on synchronized data collected from multiple telescopes observing the same phenomenon and reconstructing the missing parts of the signal.
01
The Beginning
The idea started from observing that radio telescopes can be affected by interference and satellites that may block or interfere with radio signals coming from space, resulting in missing data and reduced accuracy in astronomical analysis. Therefore, the team proposed connecting university-based radio telescopes through a synchronized network, allowing data captured at the same time to be compared and information from other telescopes to be used to recover affected or missing parts of the signal.
02
The Idea
The project provides a synchronization network that connects radio telescope signals from different universities to a central monitoring center, together with a satellite-tracking system to identify satellites that may cause signal blockage or interference. The system uses SDR and GPSDR technologies to synchronize the data and incorporates satellite position, elevation angle, azimuth, time, and speed information. The collected data is then analyzed using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to help recover missing signal portions, reduce data loss, and improve the accuracy and quality of astronomical observations.
03
The Experience
The concept developed from identifying the problem of signal loss and interference in radio telescope data into collecting SDR data from university-based telescopes and analyzing it using MATLAB. Samples from Princess Nourah University and King Khalid University signals were selected and compared to study the missing portions, after which programming and mathematical models based on time and angular differences between telescopes were used to reconstruct the missing signal components. The system was also simulated under satellite interference conditions to evaluate its ability to recover clearer and more accurate observation data.
A visual tour documenting the manufacturing stages, laboratory testing, and live tracking experiments in the field.
Explore the projects and experiments that shape the Electrospace experience.
