Data distribution in the OLFAR satellite swarm

Abstract

The Orbiting Low Frequency Antennas for Radio Astronomy (OLFAR) project aims to develop a radio telescope for very low frequencies (below 30 MHz) by using a swarm of 50 or more nano-satellites. Spread in a 100-km diameter cloud, the satellites will form a very large aperture capable of sensing the ultra-long electromagnetic waves of interest. They will sense and sample the cosmic background radiation, distribute the data among themselves, process it in a collective manner, and send the result to a base station on Eart