Improved Location Accuracy of L-Band Interference Sources Through Multiple Observations on L1C Products of the SMOS Satellite

The European Space Agency’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission operates in the 1400-1427 MHz frequency band. The measurements of SMOS radiometer are perturbed by radio frequency interference (RFI) that jeopardize part of its scientific retrieval in certain areas of the World. In order to switch off the detected interference sources, cooperation with the national authorities is essential since they are in charge of managing the radio spectrum in each country. For efficient cooperation, it is necessary to provide as much information as possible from each source so as to find the interfering equipment in the field. The SMOS spatial resolution is 38 km in the center of its field of view and it is not sufficient to define a reasonable search area on the ground. This paper presents the processes we carry out using SMOS level 1C products to improve the geolocation precision of interfering sources.