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Cubas, JavierAuthorSánchez-Ramos, IreneAuthor

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February 6, 2026
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LEO-CalSat for the calibration of W-band ground-based CMB polarization experiments

Publicated to: Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science. 13 1671698- - 2026-02-06, DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2026.1671698

Authors:

Casas, Francisco Javier; Martinez-Gonzalez, Enrique; Cubas, Javier; Pascual-Cisneros, Guillermo; Sanchez-Ramos, Irene; Castello, Laura; Vielva, Patricio; Barreiro, Belen
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Affiliations

Inst Fis Cantabria IFCA, Santander, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Inst Univ Ignacio Riva IDR UPM, Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Tokyo, Kavli Inst Phys & Math Universe Kavli IPMU, Kashiwa, Japan - Author
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Abstract

Introduction The current generation of ground- and space-based Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) telescopes demands highly precise calibration procedures. However, commonly used celestial polarized sources, such as Tau-A, are not characterized with the level of accuracy required for these experiments. This limitation has motivated several initiatives aimed at developing well-characterized artificial signal sources onboard aerial platforms, enabling observations from the telescopes' far-field.Methods In this context, we propose the deployment of a polarized signal source operating in the W-band (75-110 GHz) onboard a dedicated calibration satellite, referred to as CalSat, in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This platform would facilitate the calibration of ground-based CMB polarization experiments with significantly improved accuracy compared to traditional celestial sources. During calibration operations, the LEO-based CalSat would emit purely polarized microwave radiation from the far field, directed toward the CMB telescopes.Results Moreover, LEO-CalSat could also contribute to the calibration of space-based missions operating at the second Lagrange point (L2) by enhancing the characterization of polarized celestial sources, while simultaneously increasing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for the future deployment of a calibration satellite at L2. Various launch and satellite platform options are currently under consideration, including Spectrum shuttles and/or MIURA launchers, as well as micro-satellites such as UPMSat-4 and CubeSats.Discussion The anticipated launch date for the LEO-CalSat mission, which targets an orbital altitude of at least 400 km, is initially scheduled for the first half of 2026. Within our collaboration, the Universidad Polit & eacute;cnica de Madrid (UPM) team is responsible for the satellite's design and development, while the IFCA/IPMU team is tasked with the development of the payload signal source.
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Keywords

B modesCalibrationCmb polarizationCubesatLow-earth orbitSignal sourceW-band

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2026, it was in position 42/86, thus managing to position itself as a Q2 (Segundo Cuartil), in the category Astronomy & Astrophysics. Notably, the journal is positioned en el Cuartil Q2 para la agencia Scopus (SJR) en la categoría Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Independientemente del impacto esperado determinado por el canal de difusión, es importante destacar el impacto real observado de la propia aportación.

Según las diferentes agencias de indexación, el número de citas acumuladas por esta publicación hasta la fecha 2026-11-12:

  • Open Alex: 1
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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-11-12:

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 1.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 1 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Japan.

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Awards linked to the item

The author(s) declared that financial support was received for this work and/or its publication. The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, project ref. PID 2022-139223OB-C21 and PID 2022-139223OB-C22 (funded also by European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR), and from CSIC/Momentum program (funded by Secretaria de Estado de Digitalizacion e Inteligencia Artificial-Ministerio para la Transformacion Digital y de la Funcion Publica, by means of Red. es, and with funds of the "Plan de Recuperacion", European Union NextGenerationEU).
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