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The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment IV

Atmospheric composition continues to be a key Earth science focus for international space agencies and research organizations. The target constituent varies depending upon the topic area of interest such as monitoring the ozone layer and the efficacy of the Montreal Protocol, assessing the influence of volcanic eruptions and large wildfires on the atmosphere, improving our knowledge of transport processes, or evaluating the impacts of greenhouse gases on climate. Additionally, there is a growing need for measurement continuity of many trace gases both from an inability to properly assess long-term trends without it as well as the reliance of reanalyses and chemistry climate models on observational input. To this end, proper continuity requires continuous and overlapping multi-instrument data records of which spaceborne measurements are a critical component. However, most current satellite systems are well beyond their expected lifetimes, and so we look toward the future to develop the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) IV as a future mission concept. Enabled by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office’s (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program, the SAGE IV Pathfinder project has developed and validated a prototype demonstration that paves the way for a future SAGE IV spaceflight mission. Utilizing solar occultation imaging, SAGE IV will be capable of measuring key species in the stratosphere and upper troposphere with the same quality as previous SAGE instruments but with greatly improved pointing knowledge and extensibility to new science targets. Furthermore, current technological advancements allow SAGE IV to fit within a CubeSat framework and make use of commercial hardware, significantly reducing the size and cost when compared with traditional missions and enabling sustainability of future measurements.

Robert Damadeo↗

NASA NTRS2014

Exploration of the Saturn System by the Cassini Mission: Observations with the Cassini Infrared Spectrometer

The Cassini mission is a joint NASA-ESA international mission, launched on October 17, 1997 with 12 instruments on board, for exploration of the Saturn system. A composite Infrared Spectrometers is one of the major instruments. Successful insertion of the spacecraft in Saturn's orbit for an extended orbital tour occurred on July 1, 2004. The French Huygens-Probe on board, with six instruments was programmed for a soft landing on Titan's surface occurred in January 2005. The broad range scientific objectives of the mission are: Exploration of the Saturn system for investigations of the origin, formation, & evolution of the solar system, with an extensive range of measurements and the analysis of the data for scientific interpretations. The focus of research dealing with the Cassini mission at NASA/MSFC in collaboration with the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, JPL, as well as the research teams at Oxford/UK and Meudon Observatory/France, involves the Infrared observations of Saturn and its satellites, for measurements of the thermal structure and global distributions of the atmospheric constituents. A brief description of the Cassini spacecraft, the instruments, the objectives, in particular with the infrared observations of the Saturn system will be given. The analytical techniques for infrared radiative transfer and spectral inversion programs, with some selected results for gas constituent distributions will be presented.

Abbas, Mian M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

NASA metrology information system: A NEMS subsystem

the NASA Metrology Information Systems (NMIS) is being developed as a standardized tool in managing the NASA field Center's instrument calibration programs. This system, as defined by the NASA Metrology and Calibration Workshop, will function as a subsystem of the newly developed NASA Equipment Management System (NEMS). The Metrology Information System is designed to utilize and update applicable NEMS data fields for controlled property and to function as a stand alone system for noncontrolled property. The NMIS provides automatic instrument calibration recall control, instrument historical performance data storage and analysis, calibration and repair labor and parts cost data, and instrument user and location data. Nineteen standardized reports were developed to analyze calibration system operations.

German, E. S., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Weather Prediction Improvement Using Advanced Satellite Technology

We discuss in this paper some of the problems that exist today in the fall utilization of satellite data to improve weather forecasts and we propose specific recommendations to solve them. This discussion can be viewed as an aspect of the general debate on how best to organize the transition from research to operational satellites and how to evaluate the impact of a research instrument on numerical weather predictions. A method for providing this transition is offered by the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP). This mission will bridge the time between the present NOAA and Department of Defense (DOD) polar orbiting missions and the initiation of the converged NPOESS series and will evaluate some of the Earth Observing System (EOS) instruments as appropriate for operational missions. Thus, this mission can be viewed as an effort to meet the operational requirements of NOAA and DOD and the research requirements of NASA. More generally, however, it can be said that the process of going from the conception of new, more advanced instruments to their operational implementation and full utilization by the weather forecast communities is not optimal. Instruments developed for research purposes may have insufficient funding to explore their potential operational capabilities. Furthermore, instrument development programs designed for operational satellites typically have insufficient funding for assimilation algorithms needed to transform the satellite observations into data that can be used by sophisticated global weather forecast models. As a result, years often go by before satellite data are efficiently used for operational forecasts. NASA and NOAA each have unique expertise in the design of satellite instruments, their use for basic and applied research and their utilization in weather and climate research. At a time of limited resources, the two agencies must combine their efforts to work toward common goals of full utilization of satellite data. This is a challenge that requires the assimilation of myriad new data into increasingly sophisticated numerical forecast models that run on increasingly sophisticated computer systems. In section II, we briefly outline the impact of satellite data on the quality of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) forecasts. In section III, we describe the present status of the utilization of satellite data in NCEP models and the challenges that lie ahead. In section IV, we propose solutions whose goals are summarized in section V.

Einaudi, Franco↗

NASA NTRS2007

Phototransistors Development and their Applications to Lidar

Custom-designed two-micron phototransistors have been developed using Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE), Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) techniques under Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP). The devices were characterized in the Detector Characterization Laboratory at NASA Langley Research Center. It appears that the performance of LPE- and MBE-grown phototransistors such as responsivity, noise-equivalent-power, and gain, are better than MOCVD-grown devices. Lidar tests have been conducted using LPE and MBE devices under the 2-micrometer CO2 Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado. The main focus of these tests was to examine the phototransistors performances as compared to commercial InGaAs avalanche photodiode by integrating them into the Raman-shifted Eye-safe Aerosol Lidar (REAL) operating at 1.543 micrometers. A simultaneous measurement of the atmospheric backscatter signals using the LPE phototransistors and the commercial APD demonstrated good agreement between these two devices. On the other hand, simultaneous detection of lidar backscatter signals using MBE-grown phototransistor and InGaAs APD, showed a general agreement between these two devices with a lower performance than LPE devices. These custom-built phototransistors were optimized for detection around 2-micrometer wavelength while the lidar tests were performed at 1.543 micrometers. Phototransistor operation at 2-micron will improve the performance of a lidar system operating at that wavelength. Measurements include detecting hard targets (Rocky Mountains), atmospheric structure consisting of cirrus clouds and boundary layer. These phototransistors may have potential for high sensitivity differential absorption lidar measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor at 2.05-micrometers and 1.9-micrometers, respectively.

Abedin, M. N.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Workshop on Satellite and In situ Observations for Climate Prediction

Participants in this workshop, which convened in Venice, Italy, 6-8 May 1993, met to consider the current state of climate monitoring programs and instrumentation for the purpose of climatological prediction on short-term (seasonal to interannual) timescales. Data quality and coverage requirements for definition of oceanographic heat and momentum fluxes, scales of inter- and intra-annual variability, and land-ocean-atmosphere exchange processes were examined. Advantages and disadvantages of earth-based and spaceborne monitoring systems were considered, as were the structures for future monitoring networks, research programs, and modeling studies.

Acker, James G.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Development of advanced high-temperature heat flux sensors. Phase 2: Verification testing

A two-phase program is conducted to develop heat flux sensors capable of making heat flux measurements throughout the hot section of gas turbine engines. In Phase 1, three types of heat flux sensors are selected; embedded thermocouple, laminated, and Gardon gauge sensors. A demonstration of the ability of these sensors to operate in an actual engine environment is reported. A segmented liner of each of two combustors being used in the Broad Specification Fuels Combustor program is instrumented with the three types of heat flux sensors then tested in a high pressure combustor rig. Radiometer probes are also used to measure the radiant heat loads to more fully characterize the combustor environment. Test results show the heat flux sensors to be in good agreement with radiometer probes and the predicted data trends. In general, heat flux sensors have strong potential for use in combustor development programs.

Atkinson, W. H.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Progress of 2-micron Detectors for Application to Lidar Remote Sensing

AlGaAsSb/InGaAsSb heterojunction phototransistors were developed at Astropower, Inc under Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) for operation in the 2-micron region. These phototransistors were optimized for 2-micron detection and have high quantum efficiency (>60%), high gain (>10(exp 3)) and low noise-equivalent- power (<5x10(exp -14) W/Hz), while operating at low bias voltage. One of these phototransistors was tested in lidar mode using the 2-micron CO2 Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system currently under development under the Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) at NASA Langley. Lidar measurements included detecting atmospheric structures consisting of thin clouds in the mid-altitude and near-field boundary layer. These test results are very promising for the application of phototransistors for the two-micron lidar remote sensing. In addition, HgCdTe avalanche photodiodes (APD) acquired from Raytheon were used in atmospheric testing at 2-microns. A discussion of these measurements is also presented in this paper.

Abedin, M. N.↗

NASA NTRS2007

RadSTAR L-Band Imaging Scatterometer: Performance Assessment

RadSTAR is an instrument development program aimed at combining a radiometer and a scatterometer system into a highly compact configuration that uses a single, electronically scanned antenna to provide co-located and simultaneous measurements of emission and backscatter for airborne and spaceborne applications [I]. The program was designed to map soil moisture and ocean salinity, both important components of the water cycle, and to map sea ice density and thickness, an important factor in ocean-atmosphere heat exchange in Polar Regions. The accuracy in estimation of these and a number of other Earth science parameters can be greatly enhanced by providing the co-aligned radar/radiometer microwave measurements. For instance, radiometer estimates of soil moisture from soil emission are affected by emission from vegetation, and from the roughness of the surface. Complementary measurements using the scatterometer can be used to evaluate the vegetation and surface roughness effects. Hence, the combined observations can provide an improved estimate. As with soil moisture, the ocean salinity is a function of the microwave emission from the sea surface temperature (SST) and sea roughness. There, the addition of radar backscatter measurements of sea roughness enables the correction of the emissivity and provide more accurate estimates of ocean salinity. Similar arguments can be made for other important Earth science parameters. This paper discusses the RadSTAR program, the radar system design, calibration, and digital beamforming techniques, and presents preliminary analysis of the data collected during the test flights. The data sets obtained during the flights and during the radar calibration in the anechoic chamber are also employed to asses the performance of the radar. The paper also discusses the Digital Beamforming Synthetic Aperture Radar (DBSAR) processor, a real-time processor recently developed for the LIS instrument which enables beam synthesis, fine resolutions, and large swaths.

Rincon, Rafael↗

NASA NTRS2006

Miniature Ground Penetrating Radar, CRUX GPR

Under NASA instrument development programs (PIDDP 2000-2002, MIPD 2003-2005, ESR and T, 2005) we have been developing miniature ground penetrating radars (GPR) for use in mapping subsurface stratigraphy from planetary rovers for Mars and lunar applications. The Mars GPR is for deeper penetration (up to 50 m depth) into the Martian subsurface at moderate resolution (0.5 m) for a geological characterization. As a part of the CRUX (Construction and Resource Utilization Explorer) instrument suite, the CRUX GPR is optimized for a lunar prospecting application. It will have shallower penetration (5 m depth) with higher resolution (10 cm) for construction operations including ISRU (in-situ resource utilization).

ground penetrating radars (GPR↗

NASA NTRS2009

Ground/Flight Correlation of Aerodynamic Loads with Structural Response

United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) ground tests at the NASA Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) and NASA flight tests provide a basis and methodology for in-flight characterization of the aeroelastic performance through the monitoring of the fluid-structure interaction using surface flow sensors. NASA NF-15B flight tests provided a unique opportunity to test the correlation of aerodynamic loads with sectional flow attachment/detachment points, also known as flow bifurcation points (FBPs), as observed in previous wind tunnel tests. The NF-15B tail was instrumented with hot-film sensors and strain gages for measuring root-bending strains. These data were gathered via selected sideslip maneuvers performed at level flight and subsonic speeds. The aerodynamic loads generated by the sideslip maneuver resulted in root-bending strains and hot-film sensor signals near the stagnation region that were highly correlated. For the TDT tests, a flexible wing section developed under the AFRL SensorCraft program was instrumented with strain gages, accelerometers, and hot-film sensors at multiple span stations. The TDT tests provided data showing a gradual phase change between the FBP and the structural mode occurred during a resonant condition as the wings structural modes were excited by the tunnel-generated gusts.

Mangalam, Arun S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Advanced high temperature instrumentation for hot section research applications

Programs to develop research instrumentation for use in turbine engine hot sections are described. These programs were initiated to provide improved measurements capability as support for a multidisciplinary effort to establish technology leading to improved hot section durability. Specific measurement systems described here include heat flux sensors, a dynamic gas temperature measuring system, laser anemometry for hot section applications, an optical system for viewing the interior of a combustor during operation, thin film sensors for surface temperature and strain measurements, and high temperature strain measuring systems. The paper will describe the state of development of these sensors and measuring systems and, in some cases, will show examples of measurements made with this instrumentation. The paper covers work done at the NASA Lewis Research Center and at various contract and grant facilities.

Englund, D. R.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Advanced high temperature instrument for hot section research applications

Programs to develop research instrumentation for use in turbine engine hot sections are described. These programs were initiated to provide improved measurements capability as support for a multidisciplinary effort to establish technology leading to improved hot section durability. Specific measurement systems described here include heat flux sensors, a dynamic gas temperature measuring systems, laser anemometry for hot section applications, an optical system for viewing the interior of a combustor during operation. Thin film sensors for surface temperature and strain measurements, and high temperature strain measuring systems. The paper will describe the state of development of these sensors and measuring systems and, i n some cases, will show examples of measurements made with this instrumentation. The paper covers work done a t the NASA Lewis Research Center and at various contract and grant facilities.

D R Englund↗

NASA NTRS2015

Antenna Characterization for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements

Experimental characterization of the antenna for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements (WISM) under development for the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), is discussed. A current sheet antenna, consisting of a small, 6x6 element, dual-linear polarized array with integrated beamformer, feeds an offset parabolic reflector, enabling WISM operation over an 8 to 40 GHz frequency band. An overview of the test program implemented for both the feed and the reflector antenna is given along with select results for specific frequencies utilized by the radar and radiometric sensors of the WISM.

Primary reflector↗

NASA NTRS2015

Antenna Characterization for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurements (WISM)

Experimental characterization of the antenna for the Wideband Instrument for Snow Measurement (WISM) under development for the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), is discussed. A current sheet antenna, consisting of a small, 6x6 element, dual-linear polarized array with integrated beamformer, feeds an offset parabolic reflector, enabling WISM operation over an 8 to 40 GHz frequency band. An overview of the test program implemented for both the feed and the reflector antenna is given along with select results for specific frequencies utilized by the radar and radiometric sensors of the WISM.

dual-polarized antenna↗

NASA NTRS1999

Advances in Projection Moire Interferometry Development for Large Wind Tunnel Applications

An instrument development program aimed at using Projection Moire Interferometry (PMI) for acquiring model deformation measurements in large wind tunnels was begun at NASA Langley Research Center in 1996. Various improvements to the initial prototype PMI systems have been made throughout this development effort. This paper documents several of the most significant improvements to the optical hardware and image processing software, and addresses system implementation issues for large wind tunnel applications. The improvements have increased both measurement accuracy and instrument efficiency, promoting the routine use of PMI for model deformation measurements in production wind tunnel tests.

Fleming, Gary A.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Flight Testing of the TWiLiTE Airborne Molecular Doppler Lidar

In September, 2009 the TWiLiTE (Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment) direct detection Doppler lidar was integrated for engineering flight testing on the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft. The TWiI,iTE Doppler lidar measures vertical profiles of wind by transmitting a short ultraviolet (355 nm) laser pulse into the atmosphere, collecting the laser light scattered back to the lidar by air molecules and measuring the Doppler shifted frequency of that light. The magnitude of the Doppler shift is proportional to the wind speed of the air in the parcel scattering the laser light. TWiLiTE was developed with funding from the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (11P). The primary objectives of the TWiLiTE program are twofold: 1) to advance the development of key technologies and subsystems critical for a future space based Global 3-1) Wind Mission, as recommended by the National Research Council in the recent Decadal Survey for Earth Science [1] and 2) to develop, for the first time, a fully autonomous airborne Doppler lidar and to demonstrate tropospheric wind profile measurements from a high altitude downward looking, moving platform to simulate spaceborne measurements. In this paper we will briefly describe the instrument followed by a discussion of the results from the 2009 engineering test flights

Gentry, Bruce↗

NASA NTRS1997

Infrared Imaging, Spectroscopic, and Photometric Studies of Comets

We have continued our program of infrared (IR) photometric, imaging, spectroscopic, and polarimetric temporal observations of comets to study the properties of comet dust and comet nuclei. During the first two years we digitized our IR data base on P/Halley and other recent comets to facilitate further analysis and comparison with other data bases, and found compelling evidence for the emission of a burst of small grains from P/Halley's nucleus at perihelion. We reported imaging and photometric observations of Comets Austin 1990 V and Swift-Tuttle 1992. The Swift-Tuttle 1992t observations included IR photometry, several 7-14 micron long-slit spectra of the coma and a time-sequence of more than 150 10 micron broadband images of the coma. An analysis of near-IR images of the inner coma of P/Halley obtained on three consecutive nights in 1986 March showed sunwardjets. We completed our analysis of IR imaging spectrosco-photometric data on comets. We also obtained observations of Comets Hyakutake 1996 B2 and Hale/Bopp 1995 01. We obtained infrared imaging, photometric, spectroscopic and polarimetric temporal observations of bright comets using a network of five telescopes, with emphasis on simultaneous observations of comets at many wavelengths with different instruments. Our program offers several unique advantages: 1) rapid observational response to new comets with dedicated infrared telescopes; 2) observations within a few degrees of the sun when comets are near perihelion and 3) access to advanced infrared array imagers and spectrometers. In particular, reduction, analysis, publication and archiving of our Jupiter/sl-9 and Comet Hyakutake infrared data received special emphasis. Instrumentation development included installation of the latest version of the innovative FORTH telescope control and a data acquisition system that enables us to control three telescopes remotely by telephone from anywhere in the world for comet observations in broad daylight. We have acquired more than 3000 256x256 images totaling nearly two gigabytes of data detailing the near-IR development of the impact sites of the S-L9 fragments on Jupiter. These data were obtained using the University of Rochester Imaging IR Camera at the cassegrain focus of the 92" at WIRO. The WIRO data set covers 8 days and is, to our knowledge, one of the most extensive observational records of the S-L/Jupiter encounter obtained by any ground-based telescope. This program benefitted from the compilation during these last few months of an upgrade to the data acquisition program at WIRO with support of this NASA contract.

Gehrz, Robert D.↗