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The supra-THz (>3 THz) bands have been recently proposed for low Earth orbit THz remote sounding missions such as LOCUS (Low-Cost Upper-atmosphere Sounder). In order to achieve coherent detection, heterodyne receivers at supra-THz frequencies are under development by integrating in a single waveguide cavity a Schottky based mixers fed by a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) as Local Oscillator (LO). Thanks to the QCL, enough LO power is available to drive the mixer.

Space weather observations and the prediction of expected disturbances on ground- and space-based infrastructure are critical for the safety and evolution of our modern society. Space weather events, like solar storms, can have a significant impact on navigation, communication, power grids and other electrical conducting infrastructures. Therefore, space weather predictions are very important, but recently lack a reliable estimation of the geo-effectivity as well as detailed information for regions and systems potentially affected.

Optical satellite communications play an increasingly important role in a number of space applications. However, if the system concept includes optical links to the surface of Earth, the limited availability due to clouds and other atmospheric impacts need to be considered to give a reliable estimate of the system performance. An OGS network is required for increasing the availability to acceptable figures.

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