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Below is the PROJECTS page of the 1997 website of the GPS Signal Science Division of the Collaborative Research Centre for Satellite Systems, the CRCSS. It details the projects offered for post-graduate study at La Trobe University.

What was not detailed in the original website (below) were crucial details as to how the offered projects each were were part of an evolving and world leading project.
  • The projects offered were primarily concerned with (tomograhic) imaging of the ionosphere using GPS
  • Elizabeth had demanded and CRCSS supported the acquisition of a dual (two) frequency on-board GPS receiver for FedSat which the US authorities permitted (notably before 1999) to have a non-degraded GPS receiver.
  • Elizabeth - with some other researchers had insisted that FedSat be launched in a polar, or at least near-polar orbit, to maximise ionospheric studies which are latitude dependent.
  • For tomographic reconstruction of the ionosphere a good qualitative computer model of the ionosphere was a necessary input and such a model in 1997 was under development by Elizabeth and PhD student Philip Webb
  • GPS data needed to be acquired from the chain of GPS ground stations lying almost precisely north-south along the east coast of Australia. The sofware had been writted by Elizabeths PhD student Michael Malos back in 1993 for the Russian version of GPS called GNSS. Converted to GPS by Dr Breed of the University of SA, this software was crucial to Elizabeth's PhD students in the CRCSS.
  • Ionospheric research using TOPEX-Poseidon required software written by Irena Horvath for her PhD study of ionospheric anomalies in the Antarctic region. This software was to be required and used by Elizabeth's last student Endawoki Yizengaw.
  • It needs to be stressed that Elizabeth 'stood on the shoulder of giants' as especially her early mentor Jack Klobuchar had pointed out in 1994 that dual frequency GPS provided a powerful means of measuring the basic quantity TEC, but she was the first to put such GPS based ionospheric research as a comprehensive package, leading to a number of Firsts in ionospheric research.
This web page in 1997 included projects (listed below) offered by this author (Dr Harvey Cohen) who was one of the original 23 listed researchers in the CRC for Satellite Systems when launched, and had actively lobbied for the establishment of the CRCSS over ten years. [ It is notable that at the launch the Commonwealth pledged approx $26 million. ] However as part of its consistent pattern of non-support of the CRCSS by La Trobe University my position was declared redundant at the beginning of 1998 and I was unable to further participate in the CRCSS. My projects (and a joint project with Elizabeth) were then commented out in the website; in the interest of historical accuracy these suppressed lines have been restored.

Immediately after FedSat was launched on 14 December 2002 Elizabeth was served with notice that she was to be reduced to a teaching only position unable to supervise research students and her employment was to be terminated in 2005 (when she became 65 years old). However over XMAS Elizabeth was hospitalised and spent much of 2003 on sick leave, returning to full duties only towards the end of that year (2003).

FOOTNOTE
The radio occultation ionospheric studies using observations from the FedSat satellite of (occulting) GPS satellites which are listed as Project 3 below were performed subsequent to Elizabeth's death. See the paper:
Robert J. Norman ; Peter L. Dyson ; Endawoke Yizengaw ; John Le Marshall ; Chuan-Sheng Wang ; Brett A. Carter ; Debao Wen ; and Kefei Zhang Radio Occultation Measurements From the Australian Microsatellite FedSat IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing ( Volume: 50 , Issue: 11 , Nov. 2012 ) pp 4832 - 4839
From the abstract The technique combined with simultaneous occultation density profile extraction from different LEO satellites and satellite navigation systems has the potential to image near real-time 3-D structures of the ionospheric electron density.

WARNING: Email addresses below are non-functional today.
The statement optimistically made in 1997 ( below ) that La Trobe University was a partner in the CRC for Satellite Systems proved to be incorrect as the university declined to provide any research funds in support beyond the salary of Dr Elizabeth Essex-Cohen, while removing from its employment the other La Trobe researcher of record in the CRCSS documentation at start-up.
HAC
Tasmania:
Black Hole
Above

Australia in Space
a History
TOPEX-POSEIDON
Bouncing radar off the sea
Experiment designed to monitor sea heights gives data yielding sea heights yields ionospheric data.

CRC
for
Satellite
Systems
Australian Satellite Science and Engineering
Click for Scholarship Details and Method of Application
CRC for Satellite Systems
Postgraduate Research Opportunities
in GPS Signal Science and Space Physics

Detailed Description of Research Projects involving FedSat 1

As part of the activities of the Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems of which La Trobe University is a partner, Australia is planning the launch of a scientific satellite for 2001, the centenary of Federation. Opportunities exist for researchers to join the project in the area of research using GPS. It is planned to carry a GPS receiver on board in order to undertake studies of the atmosphere and ionosphere. Features to be studied include ionisation profiles, irregularity occurrences and occultation studies of the atmosphere and ionosphere during what will be a period of high sunspot numbers. Particular emphasis will be directed toward the improvement of the current models of the ionosphere over the vast expanses of the southern hemisphere where existing data is sparse. See the main CRCSS web page
Projects are available in the following areas:

Post-graduate Research Projects - Dr E.A. Essex
1. Space based and Ground based Computerised Ionospheric Tomography
Computerised ionospheric tomography holds promise as a new method for the investigation of the occurrence and movement of ionospheric structures in the range from tens to hundreds of kilometres. Both space based and ground based systems are being developed. Space based systems use signals from high earth orbit satellites, such as GPS, which are monitored by a low earth orbit satellite thereby providing a three dimensional scan of the ionosphere. For the ground based systems, low earth orbit satellites are being used as the source of radio signals which are monitored at ground level on a network of receivers located under the satellite's track thereby providing a scan of the ionosphere. The scanned data, which represents the integrated electron density of the ionosphere, is then analysed using an inversion process to reconstruct the vertical electron density profiles of the ionosphere. Opportunities exist for both theoretical and modelling research in space based ionospheric tomography.

2. Imaging the low latitude scintillations using the GPS
The GPS constellation of satellites is a precise worldwide navigation system operated by the United States. Its usefulness is in navigation, mapping, altimetry, movement of the landscape features and accurate time measurements. The ionosphere, the ionised part of the medium through which the satellite propagates, introduces errors in these measurements. These errors, embedded in the data, may be extracted and used to improve the model of the regional ionosphere. Projects include the use of GPS to study scintillations at low latitudes using both space based and ground based receivers.

3. Occultation Studies of the Atmosphere and Ionosphere
Accurate occultation measurements of the earth's atmosphere are now possible using GPS and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Bending of the ray paths from the GPS satellites to the receiver on board the LEO as occultation occurs provides information on both the ionospheric profile and the temperature and water vapour in the lower atmosphere. Opportunities exist for model studies of the earth's atmosphere for the occultation occurrences of the satellite systems.

4. Mapping the ionosphere in the Australian and Antarctic region using the Australian Regional GPS Network
Projects include the use of the Australian Regional GPS Network (ARGN) data base for studies of the large scale features of the ionosphere such as the equatorial anomaly and the mid latitude trough over Australia, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. GPS is also being used to study scintillations in the high latitudes.

5 Fuzzy/ Neural network modelling of the atmosphere using GPS Data
Joint Supervision with Dr H. Cohen
This project is concerned with the adaptive classification of the rays received from a constellation of geodetic satellites (the 24 GPS SV and 24 Glonass satellites) by

  • A Set of groundstations
  • A moving receiver on FedSat 1
The signals received by a GPS receiver suffer delays due to the electrons along the path (the TEC = Total electron content). and further bending due to amospheric effects for rays that graze the lower atmosphere. FedSat 1 will be operational during a ausnspot maxima, when from day to day heightened solar activity will lead to very different atmospheric pictures. The aim of this project is to use modern classification methods to massage the huge amount of data that arises in just one day from satellite borne and ground based receivers.
To complete this project a student will need to acquire a good background in both space physics and in computer science. However, to start the project, its unreasonable to expect honours level in both aspects. It is envisaged that in their first year the candidate will take honours units to broaden their experience.

For further details about the above projects Email Dr Essex

Dr Elizabeth A. Essex
School of Physics
La Trobe University
Kingsbury Drive
Bundoora, Vic 3083
AUSTRALIA 		Ph: +613 9479 1485
Fax: +613 9479 1552
e-mail: e.essex@latrobe.edu.au

Post-graduate Research Projects Dr Harvey A, Cohen
1 Satellite System Simulator
The CRC for Satellite Systems is to launch a series of scientific satellites, starting with FedSat, to be launched in 2001. These satellites are low earth orbiting (LEO) small ("microsatellites"), and hopefully will have almost equatorial orbits. Although physically these satellites are pretty comparably to the 84 kg Sputnik 1, in fact they will be incredibly sophisticated in the on-board sensors, antennae, computers, and comms links. And each satellite is not just an isolated probe, it functions in conjunction with the constellation of 24 GPS satellites (SV) and the 24 Glonass satellites.
The aim of the simulator project is to simulate the spatial motion of CRCSat ( FedSat and other CRC satellites) and the conjunctive motion of GPS and Glonass satellites, and determine occurence details of events that depend on the relative position of the CRCSat, the Earth, and GPS/Glonass satellites. These events include

  • CRC Satellite overhead for comm links
  • GPS Satellites almost above CRCSat (> 70 degrees) for ionospheric studies
  • Occultation times for all SV required for GPSMET
Because CRC-Sat is a smart microsatellite, what happens during each orbit needs to be planned for and tailored to the best possibilities. The simulator is required both for configuration planning, determining the orbital parameters most appropriate for meeting mission objectives, and for real-time planning of the on-board satellite schedule.
A strong background in computer science is required.

2 Fuzzy/ Neural network modelling of the atmosphere using GPS Data
Joint Supervision with Dr E.Essex
This project is concerned with the adaptive classification of the rays received from a constellation of geodetic satellites (the 24 GPS SV and 24 Glonass satellites) by

  • A Set of groundstations
  • A moving receiver on FedSat 1
The signals received by a GPS receiver suffer delays due to the electrons along the path (the TEC = Total electron content). and further bending due to amospheric effects for rays that graze the lower atmosphere. FedSat 1 will be operational during a ausnspot maxima, when from day to day heightened solar activity will lead to very different atmospheric pictures. The aim of this project is to use modern classification methods to massage the huge amount of data that arises in just one day from satellite borne and ground based receivers.
To complete this project a student will need to acquire a good background in both space physics and in computer science. However, to start the project, its unreasonable to expect honours level in both aspects. It is envisaged that in their first year the candidate will take honours units to broaden their experience.

3 Segmentation of Hyperspectral Images
Hyperspectral imaging is a class of remote sensing where the reflected luminance in a number of spectral bands is determined, and corrected for atmospheric absorption. In an arid climate, where there is minimal topsoil, rock-types can be classified. This project is concerned with several aspects of improving the capabilities of hyperspectral surveys for remote prospecting.

For further details about the above projects Email H.Cohen@latrobe.edu.au



Dr Harvey A. Cohen
School of Computer Science
and Computer Engineering
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Vic 3083
AUSTRALIA 		Ph: +613 9479 2596
Fax: +613 9479 3060
e-mail: H.Cohen@latrobe.edu.au
Scholarships and Method of Application
All intending postgraduate students are asked to both
  • Read the admission procedure detailed in Higher Degrees by Research by the Research and Graduate Studies Office at La Trobe University.
  • Contact either H.Cohen@latrobe.edu.au or Dr Essex and discuss project to be undertaken. A description of intended research project must be included in your applications.
  • Unless you have available funds, apply as soon as possible for a regular post-graduate research scholarship at La Trobe University. See Scholarship Details. You can apply for both a Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarships (available only to Australian residents) and a La Trobe University Post-graduate Research Scholarship(Available to foreign students.)
Funding from the CRCSS will be used for the support of certain research students, both directly and as a supplement to APA awards.
Tasmania:
Black Hole
Above

Australia in Space
a History
TOPEX-POSEIDON
Bouncing radar off the sea
Experiment designed to monitor sea heights gives data yielding sea heights yields ionospheric data.

CRC
for
Satellite
Systems
Australian Satellite Science and Engineering