Abstract: The columnar electron content of the ionosphere between a spacecraft (10) and a receiver (12, 14) is measured in realtime by cross correlating two coherently modulated signals transmitted at different frequencies (L.sub.1, L.sub.2) from the spacecraft to the receiver using a cross correlator (16). The time difference of arrival of the modulated signals is proportional to electron content of the ionosphere. A variable delay (21) is adjusted relative to a fixed delay (20) in the respective channels (L.sub.1, L.sub.2) to produce a maximum at the cross correlator output. The difference in delay required to produce this maximum is a measure of the columnar electron content of the ionosphere. A plurality of monitoring stations (31, 32, 33) and spacecrafts (GPS satellites 34, 35, 36) are employed to locate any terrestrial event that produces an ionospheric disturbance.

Abstract: A system for determining the position of a vehicle or other target that emits radio waves, which is of the type that senses the difference in time of arrival at spaced ground stations of signals from the vehicle to locate the vehicle on a set of intersecting hyperbolas. A network of four ground stations detects the radio emissions from the vehicle, and by means of cross correlation derives the relative signal delay at the ground stations from which the vehicle position is deduced. Because the signal detection is by cross correlation, no knowledge of the emission is needed, which makes even unintentional radio noise emissions usable as a locator beacon. By positioning one of the four ground stations at an elevation significantly above the plane of the other three stations, a three dimensional fix on the vehicle is possible.

Abstract: A system for use in detecting earth crustal deformation using an RF interferometer technique for such purposes as earthquake predictive research and eventual operational predictions. A lunar based RF transmission or transmissions from earth orbiting satellites are received at two locations on Earth, and a precise time dependent phase measurement is made of the RF signal as received at the two locations to determine two or three spatial parameters of the antenna relative positions. The received data are precisely time tagged and land-line routed to a central station for real-time phase comparison and analysis. By monitoring the antenna relative positions over an extended period of months or years, crustal deformation of the earth can be detected.