ROSA: An advanced technological design for Radio Occultation Antenna

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) is funding several technological activities related to the study of the Atmosphere using the Radio Occultation Technique, a technique able to derive atmospheric vertical profiles of temperature, pressure and humidity. In this context ASI has committed Thales Alenia Space Italia to develop the ROSA (Radio Occultation Sounder for the Atmosphere) instrument made by two Radio Occultation antennas, one navigation antenna and one receiver. This paper is focused on the ROSA instrument, now become operative on its first space mission.