Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations such as argos and iridium have historically enabled tracking and collection of in-situ marine mammal telemetry only while satellite pass timing and the…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $186,540 to Microcom Design Inc. on September 1, 2026, under the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 11.021) to investigate the feasibility of adapting a miniaturized geostationary Earth observation satellite data collection system transmitter for use in marine mammal telemetry tags.

The Phase I project will focus on adapting NOAA's GOES Data Collection System transmitter (GTX-2.0SS) originally developed for small CubeSats to meet the size, weight, and power constraints required for deployment on marine megafauna. Current low Earth orbit satellite systems for marine mammal tracking depend on alignment between satellite pass timing and tagged animal surfacing; geostationary satellites eliminate this constraint and could substantially increase data recovery rates and tag longevity. The research will examine RF performance, power optimization, high-speed localization capability, and transmitter packaging to enable this technological transition. Work is performed in Cockeysville, Maryland, with a period of performance ending February 26, 2027. This Phase I award is assistance funding under the SBIR program structure, which supports proof-of-concept and research and development activities by eligible small business concerns.

Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations such as argos and iridium have historically enabled tracking and collection of in-situ marine mammal telemetry only while satellite pass timing and the tagged animal surfacing align and are sustained long enough for a successful transmission. Geostationary satellites remain fixed over a region of earth, eliminating this constraint, offering a mechanism to boost data recovery rates and maximize tag longevity by reducing missed transmissions. Suitable telemetry transmitters have not met the size, weight, and power (swap) constraints required for deployment on even the largest of marine megafauna to take advantage of this architecture. Microcom's recent developments in transmitter design have enabled the miniaturization of a NOAA geostationary earth observation satellite (goes) data collection system (DCS) transmitter for successful use on a small NASA cubesat, bringing the transmitter swap closer to that required for a marine mammal tag. During phase i we will investigate the feasibility of adapting the GTX-2.0SS cubesat DCS transmitter for use in a marine mammal telemetry tag, focusing on RF performance, power optimization, high speed localization, and overall transmitter packaging. This technology can revolutionize the monitoring of marine mammals by eliminating the limitations inherent in using LEO satellites for data recovery.