At Tomorrow.io, the Space & Sensors team is pushing the boundaries of satellite hardware, advancing weather intelligence to new heights.
This month, the team launched its first two microwave sounder satellites, marking a significant advancement for Tomorrow.io in transforming global weather forecasting, early warning systems, and climate resilience.
These sounder-equipped satellites mark the next phase in Tomorrow.io’s expanding constellation, aiming to provide unprecedented sub-hourly global atmospheric measurements of temperature, humidity, precipitation, and tropical cyclones—a first for the commercial sector.
Last year, the team launched the world’s first two commercially built weather radar satellites: Tomorrow-R1 and Tomorrow-R2. These two satellites are 450 km above Earth in a polar orbit and carry a Ka-band radar ideally suited for characterizing precipitation and critical ocean-surface parameters.
From the intricate radar systems they build to innovative microwave sounder technology, this team’s work is integral to our mission of expanding global weather coverage.
We recently had the chance to spotlight five key members of the Space & Sensors team—Brad Isom, Kodie Altvater, Emma Watson, Sophia Medvid, and Frank DeSimone—and learn more about contributions and the groundbreaking projects they’re spearheading.
Are you interested in how a startup builds the hardware necessary to launch satellites?
Keep reading to learn how we did it.
A Day in the Life: Meet the Space and Sensors Team at Tomorrow.io
Brad Isom, Principal Systems Engineer
Brad Isom, Tomorrow.io’s Radar Systems Lead at our Golden, Colorado office, manages a team of RF radar and test engineers.
His team focuses on three main projects:
- Launching weather satellite systems
- Supporting the NOAA P3 hurricane hunter aircraft
- And developing the versatile ARENA radar transceiver.
The ARENA transceiver, adaptable for various remote sensing applications, plays a pivotal role in airborne and spaceborne systems.
“A transceiver is a versatile radar component that includes a digital transmitter and receiver, making it adaptable to various frequencies and applications. It’s used in space, airborne systems, and submarines, covering a broad spectrum of remote sensing tasks,” says Brad.
Brad’s daily responsibilities involve leading the team as they focus on these projects and develop the transceiver, ensuring it works properly and all systems are operational.
Challenges and Excitements:
Working with a reliable team is essential to Brad, who emphasizes its importance, especially for space systems.
“We really spend a lot of time testing for both performance, but also for reliability so that once it’s launched, we’re sure we’re going to get the data quality that we want out of the system,” he says.
Their day to day ensures the reliability and performance of our satellite systems, “The most challenging thing, particularly for space, it’s very challenging because once it launches, there’s no opportunity to fix it,” he notes.
Brad’s team thrives on diverse challenges, seeing each as an opportunity for innovation.
For instance, designing systems for hurricane hunter aircraft presents exciting chances to push the boundaries of durability and reliability. These projects allow the team to showcase their expertise in creating robust systems that perform flawlessly even in extreme conditions.
Pictured: Clayton Bjorland, Senior Radar Scientist at Tomorrow.io onboard NOAA WP-3 N42RF, during Hurricane Lee in 2023. Source: Axios
The most exciting aspect for Brad is the impact of his team’s work. “The quality and amount of data we’re going to get [from our constellation] is unprecedented,” he shares.
This data will support operational activities like the National Hurricane Center and validate satellite data, improving global weather models.
Kodie Altvater, FPGA Design and Hardware Engineer
Kodie Altvater, who joined Tomorrow.io in 2021, brings a blend of FPGA design and hardware troubleshooting expertise to the organization. He primarily works on the ARENA SDR, a software-defined radar system crucial for weather signal processing.
In his role, he is responsible for managing complex hardware and firmware systems:
- Designing digital systems for satellite payloads
- Troubleshooting and managing FPGA systems
- Writing firmware that enables the unique capabilities for ARENA
- Ensuring reliability in space environments
“Since starting, I’ve done things as simple as setting up the lab and building out hardware workstations to running Ethernet cables for our 10-gig networks. But I’ve also done things much more complicated like implementing arbitrary waveform generation using the full DDR4 bandwidth in the FPGA. All of this is what makes the work at Tomorrow.io challenging and rewarding!”
Complexity and Ownership:
Kodie relishes the ownership and responsibility his role provides. “The thing that really made me consider moving to Tomorrow.io was a desire for more responsibility and ownership.”
“You take a lot of ownership and have to be a domain expert,” he says.
When Kodie first joined, there were many requirements in building and setting up lab infrastructure to design complex systems, illustrating the diverse skill set required in startups.
“The real reason I’m excited to be here is the technical challenges of what we’re doing. We are building novel satellites and technologies that are defining the race to predict and analyze weather solutions,” Kodie shares.
The challenges Kodie faces are multifaceted, from managing interfaces and power sequencing to ensuring reliability in space.
“Every problem is a hard problem, we’re not in the space of ‘this has been done before,’ we are really revolutionizing and figuring things out as we go, and that involves a slew of challenges,” he says.
He describes a recent challenge involving managing radiation effects on hardware, which required innovative solutions to balance cost, development time, and reliability.
Emma Watson, Systems Engineer, Microwave Sounding
Emma Watson is a Systems Engineer at Tomorrow.io.
As a subject matter expert for microwave-sounding payloads and spacecraft, she ensures the accuracy and reliability of these highly sensitive instruments designed to capture temperature and humidity profiles.
These payloads are essential for our nowcasting efforts, providing real-time weather data.
“I work primarily on our microwave sounding program. And what I do day-to-day is manage the build of our payload,” says Emma.
In her role, Emma is the Subject Matter Expert (SME):
- Overseeing the development of microwave-sounding payloads
- Ensuring data accuracy for weather forecasting
- Managing the unique challenges of each payload
- Communicating across teams to ensure needs are met
What is a Microwave Sounder?
Microwave sounders technology was initially developed in the 1960s and has made significant advancements over the decades.
These instruments are crucial for measuring temperature and humidity profiles, essential for accurate weather forecasting.
“What we’re doing at Tomorrow.io that is revolutionary is we’re creating a constellation of these,” says Emma.
This ambitious project will launch up to 18 satellites into orbit, effectively doubling the current number of TROPICS sounders on orbit in space. This expansion will greatly enhance our ability to gather detailed atmospheric data, improving our nowcasting capabilities and overall weather prediction accuracy.
Unique Challenges of Systems Engineering
As a Systems Engineer, Emma faces unique challenges, saying, “Microwave sounders are highly sensitive instruments designed to capture temperature and humidity profiles. Each payload is like a unique little snowflake, with its quirks and challenges.”
“These are highly sensitive receivers, they’re passive, which is the one thing that’s different between our active TRAKR [radar]program and the microwave sounding program is that we are passive. So we are just trying to look at the earth. We are receiving temperature and humidity information just by looking at it.”
The complex nature of RF engineering often feels like “black magic,” with each payload exhibiting distinct quirks.
One significant challenge Emma has faced was addressing noise in one of the payload channels. She explains how with each challenge, her team will approach problem-solving differently.
With this payload issue, she collaborated across teams with a teammate on the radar side to reach a solution, “We found that the noise was due to environmental EMI. We built a Faraday cage around it to block out the noise, which solved the issue,” she explains.
Impact and Intuition:
Emma finds great motivation in the global impact of her work. “Our data is going to be critical in fulfilling our mission of global coverage,” she says, “Talking with our science team gets me excited, they help me look at the bigger picture.”
Despite the technical challenges, the opportunity to contribute to a mission with such far-reaching implications is a significant driver for Emma.
She values the close interaction with internal customers, like weather scientists and meteorologists, allowing her to see the direct impact of her work.
Sophia Medvid, Mission Operations Engineer
Sophia Medved began her journey at Tomorrow.io as an Associate Mission Operations Engineer. Her primary focus is on ensuring that satellites in orbit are functioning correctly and communicating effectively with ground stations.
She tells us a little about the role, “Being a mission operations engineer, you’re in charge of making sure the satellites on orbit are working properly, that we’re communicating with them, and that we’re getting data downlinked that can then be ingested into our Tomorrow.io platform.”
On an average day, her responsibilities include:
- Ensuring satellite health and communication
- Testing satellite operations on ground-based systems
- Generating and verifying satellite schedules
“The hardware I work on the most is our flatsat, a flat satellite system that mimics our on-orbit satellites for testing purposes. It allows us to test operations on the ground before sending commands to space, ensuring everything works as expected,” explains Sophia.
She tells us it’s kind of like managing the uptime of an app, “So imagine if you had an app and it was constantly down, you wouldn’t be able to get much out of that.
Just like our satellites, they need to be operational. So we constantly are making sure our satellites are functioning and they’re operating as we expect.”
Challenges and Excitements in the Role
In Sophia’s role, testing and verification are extremely important when it comes to the satellites, “Whenever we want to test something on orbit, we first test it on the Flatsat here on Earth to avoid potential issues that could harm the satellite,” she notes.
Her day-to-day work varies significantly, reflecting the dynamic nature of working on satellites at a startup.
“One of the reasons I wanted to work at a startup is because you get to wear many different hats. At a larger company, you might only have one specific job. Here, you do a lot of different things,” she says.
Sophia tells us her day-to-day can change, but she’s primarily working to:
- Generate schedules: These schedules are uploaded to the satellite and define the list of tasks the satellite needs to execute.
- Scan the Earth for weather data: This involves directing the satellite to scan the Earth and downlink the collected weather data back to Tomorrow.io’s platform for ingestion.
- Ensure satellite health: Focuses on making sure that the satellite is healthy, which includes both sending data up to the satellite and receiving data down from it.
The impact of the work excites Sophia, she shares that “Providing weather security for the globe and people who don’t have weather data is a really important mission. Using my aerospace passion to help that mission is a big deal.”
Frank DeSimone, ARENA Systems Engineer
Frank DeSimone is Tomorrow.io’s ARENA Principal Systems Engineer, bridging internal teams and external customers, including NASA and Pacific Defense.
His role involves developing hardware systems and ensuring they meet the high standards required for space missions:
- Developing hardware for scientific missions
- Ensuring hardware reliability in space environments
- Collaborating with external customers
“In my role, I lead hardware efforts.. I’m the outward facing support for all the customers. I develop hardware, but I also work with all the internal cross discipline teams and the external customers,” says Frank.
What is ARENA?
“Arena is a software-defined radar system, very flexible and configurable, used for various missions, including scientific and defense applications. Its high-performance hardware and adaptability make it an essential component for our customers,” says Frank.
In his day-to-day, Frank ensures our systems are up and running for our internal and external teams. His average day looks like this:
- Daily Meetings: Cross-collaboration with team member including software, firmware, and hardware engineers to discuss projects and changes
- Customer collaboration: Engaging in meetings with customers to refine requirements, conduct reviews, align on schedules, and provide ongoing support.
- Hands-On Work: “During the rest of the time, I will be working with ARENA systems for development, testing or debugging customer issues as well as working on the architectures for future ARENA designs that will determine our roadmap,” says Frank.
Precision and Innovation:
Frank’s precision engineering and problem-solving skills are critical in addressing complex hardware challenges.
He recounts a recent challenging project involving a defense contractor where he had to modify firmware to ensure precise timing signals: “We were able to use tools like logic analyzers to make sure everything was exactly like it’s supposed to be.”
His work ensures that Tomorrow.io’s hardware systems perform reliably in the harsh space conditions.
Collaborative Environment:
The Space and Sensors team is a close-knit, collaborative environment at Tomorrow.io.
“We have a very well-thought-out development process,” Frank says, emphasizing the importance of internal and customer reviews in achieving high-quality results.
According to Frank, “The mission at Tomorrow.io is amazing, the difference it’s making already and what we’re working on – state-of-the-art FPGA devices and the latest and greatest– is great to be a part of.”
Contributions to Tomorrow.io’s Mission
Each member of the Space & Sensors team contributes uniquely to Tomorrow.io’s mission of revolutionizing weather intelligence. Their work ensures high data quality, which is essential for accurate weather forecasting and modeling. From Brad’s focus on reliability and data quality to Kodie’s innovative hardware solutions, Emma’s intuition-driven calibrations, and Frank’s precise engineering, the team’s collective efforts drive our mission forward.
Why Tomorrow.io Stands Out
Innovation and Ownership
Tomorrow.io offers an environment where innovation thrives, and ownership is encouraged. Employees are given the autonomy to tackle complex problems and see projects through from inception to completion. This sense of ownership is a significant draw for top talent, allowing individuals to make substantial contributions and see the impact of their work.
Fast-Paced and Collaborative
The company’s fast-paced, collaborative environment contrasts with the slower, more segmented processes of larger companies. Employees at Tomorrow.io experience the full lifecycle of projects, gaining diverse skills and insights along the way.
Global Impact
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of working at Tomorrow.io is the global impact. The data collected and processed by the hardware developed by the Space & Sensors team has far-reaching implications, from improving daily weather forecasts to aiding in disaster preparedness and response.
The Future of Hardware at Tomorrow.io
Tomorrow.io’s Space & Sensors team is at the forefront of revolutionizing satellite hardware, driving advancements in weather intelligence. The dedication and expertise of team members like Brad, Kodie, Emma, Sophia, and Frank are instrumental in achieving our mission.
Their work pushes the boundaries of technology and makes a tangible difference in weather forecasting and global weather intelligence.
For those looking to make an impact in the field of aerospace and hardware engineering, Tomorrow.io offers a unique and rewarding opportunity.
If you’re inspired by the groundbreaking work of our team and want to be part of pushing the boundaries of weather technology, we have exciting news:
Our Space & Sensors team is growing!
Tomorrow.io is hiring across our team and has positions open for radar systems, embedded software, hardware design, operations software, and software engineers!
Tomorrow.io is hiring! Join the revolution today.
