The Life Cycle of Instability Features Measured from the Andes Lidar Observatory Over Cerro Pachon on 24 March 2012

The Aerospace Corporation\u27s Nightglow Imager (ANI) observes nighttime OH emission (near 1.6 µm) every 2 s over an approximate 73¬∞ field of view. ANI had previously been used to study instability features seen over Maui. Here we describe observations of instabilities seen from 5 to 8 UT on 24 March 2012 over Cerro Pachon, Chile, and compare them with previous results from Maui, with theory, and with Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). The atmosphere had reduced stability because of the large negative temperature gradients measured by a Na lidar. Thus, regions of dynamical and convective instabilities are expected to form, depending on the value of the Richardson number. Bright primary instabilities are formed with a horizontal wavelength near 9 km and showed the subsequent formation of secondary instabilities, rarely seen over Maui, consistent with the primaries being dynamical instabilities. The ratio of the primary to secondary horizontal wavelength was greater over Chile than over Maui. After dissipation of the instabilities, smaller-scale features appeared with sizes in the buoyancy subrange between 1.5 and 6 km. Their size spectra were consistent with the model of Weinstock (1978) if the turbulence is considered to be increasing. The DNS results produce secondary instabilities with sizes comparable to what is seen in the images although their spectra are somewhat steeper than is observed. However, the DNS results also show that after the complete decay of the primary features, scale sizes considerably smaller than 1 km are produced and these cannot be seen by the ANI instrument

Development of Level 1b Calibration and Validation Readiness, Implementation and Management Plans for GOES-R

A complement of Readiness, Implementation and Management Plans (RIMPs) to facilitate management of post-launch product test activities for the official Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) Level 1b (L1b) products have been developed and documented. Separate plans have been created for each of the GOES-R sensors including: the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), the Extreme ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS), Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), GOES-R Magnetometer (MAG), the Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS), and the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI). The GOES-R program has implemented these RIMPs in order to address the full scope of CalVal activities required for a successful demonstration of GOES-R L1b data product quality throughout the three validation stages: Beta, Provisional and Full Validation. For each product maturity level, the RIMPs include specific performance criteria and required artifacts that provide evidence a given validation stage has been reached, the timing when each stage will be complete, a description of every applicable Post-Launch Product Test (PLPT), roles and responsibilities of personnel, upstream dependencies, and analysis methods and tools to be employed during validation. Instrument level Post-Launch Tests (PLTs) are also referenced and apply primarily to functional check-out of the instruments

Flight Operations of Two Rapidly Assembled CubeSats with Commercial Infrared Cameras: The Rogue-Alpha,Beta Program

The Aerospace Corporation’s Rogue-alpha, betaprogram, co-funded by the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Development Corps, is a rapid prototyping effort that built and launched two 3-Unit CubeSats equipped with modified commercial IR camera payloads, laser communications and precision pointing capabilities in 18-months. Launched on 2 November 2019, the two spacecraft were released from the ISS Cygnus NG-12 robotic resupply spacecraft on 31 January 2020 into a circular 460-km, 52° inclined orbit. The two Rogue spacecraft are serving as testbeds for studying wide-field-of-view fast-framing imaging, on-orbit stellar calibration techniques for small IR payloads, and associated spacecraft flight operations. Precision pointing is enabled by three star sensors. High data rate sensor observations are enabled by the ultra-compact 200 Mbps lasercom system, which downlinks gigabytes of stored data during a single laser contact, using The Aerospace Corporation’s prototype ground stations located in El Segundo, California. The Rogue-alpha, beta IR sensor is a 1.4 micron band, 640x512 pixel, 28° field of view, InGaAs SWIR camera. It is accompanied by a panchromatic, 10-megapixel, 37° field of view visible context camera. Modes of sensor operation have included: 1) horizon-pointed imaging in all directions relative to the spacecraft orbit (fore, aft, port, and starboard) which is designed to maximize the imaged field of view, 2) point-and-stare imaging, 3) nadir-pointed, and 4) stereo fore-aft pointing using both spacecraft. All of these modes of operation are usually conducted in multi-frame collections at 1-20hz for dozens to thousands of frames. Highlights from the Rogue-alpha, beta sensor Earth remote sensing observation experiments will be presented. These have included impressive video imagery of hurricanes, typhoons, thunderstorms, and high clouds in the intra-tropical convergence zone. Infrared and visible point sources studied include gas flares, wildfires, active volcanos, nighttime lights, and other phenomena, including the first infrared CubeSat observations of space launch upper stages in flight. Stereo cloud imaging observations were also conducted with an aim of better understanding Earth backgrounds from low Earth orbit. Highlights from the CubeSat flight operations experiments include: 1) spacecraft-to-spacecraft boresight alignment of Rogue’s lasercom systems, and 2) metric and radiometric calibration of Rogue’s flight cameras using bright infrared stars. The results from the Rogue-alpha, beta460-km orbit show the exciting possibilities for wide-field-of-view missions from low earth orbit

A combined rocket-borne and ground-based study of the sodium layer and charged dust in the upper mesosphere

The Hotel Payload 2 rocket was launched on January 31st 2008 at 20.14 LT from the Andøya Rocket Range in northern Norway (69.31° N, 16.01° E). Measurements in the 75–105 km region of atomic O, negatively-charged dust, positive ions and electrons with a suite of instruments on the payload were complemented by lidar measurements of atomic Na and temperature from the nearby ALOMAR observatory. The payload passed within 2.58 km of the lidar at an altitude of 90 km. A series of coupled models is used to explore the observations, leading to two significant conclusions. First, the atomic Na layer and the vertical profiles of negatively-charged dust (assumed to be meteoric smoke particles), electrons and positive ions, can be modelled using a self-consistent meteoric input flux. Second, electronic structure calculations and Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Markus theory are used to show that even small Fe–Mg–silicates are able to attach electrons rapidly and form stable negatively-charged particles, compared with electron attachment to O2 and O3. This explains the substantial electron depletion between 80 and 90 km, where the presence of atomic O at concentrations in excess of 1010 cm−3 prevents the formation of stable negative ions

Pre-Flight Calibrations for the PIANO Airglow Camera on the ISS

The Phenomenology Imager and Nighttime Observer (PIANO) is an infrared imager that, through the auspices of the Space Test Program (STP), is scheduled to fly on the International Space Station (ISS) in December 2021 on the STP-H7 instrument pallet. It will be among the first 4k x 4k IR focal planes flown in space. It uses the Teledyne H4RG detector and a custom optical assembly to obtain a high native spatial resolution of about 65 m per pixel at the ground. The FPA is cooled by a tactical cryocooler to temperatures of less than 150K and operates at 1.5 to 1.72 microns (similar to the H band). PIANO will observe nighttime weather and cloud types as well as studying the Earth’s airglow and wave structures in the upper atmosphere. The precursor to PIANO, the Near-Infrared Airglow Camera, with a 2k x 2k IR focal plane, launched in May 2019 and is still operating onboard the ISS. This presentation discusses pre-launch testing results of PIANO. These tests include characterizations to optimize the performance of the focal plane, which has a cut-off wavelength of 1.72 microns, and radiometric calibration incorporating the flight optics and obtained with both in-laboratory sources and star fields

The Life Cycle of Instability Features Measured from the Andes Lidar Observatory Over Cerro Pachon on 24 March 2012

The Aerospace Corporation\u27s Nightglow Imager (ANI) observes nighttime OH emission (near 1.6 µm) every 2 s over an approximate 73¬∞ field of view. ANI had previously been used to study instability features seen over Maui. Here we describe observations of instabilities seen from 5 to 8 UT on 24 March 2012 over Cerro Pachon, Chile, and compare them with previous results from Maui, with theory, and with Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). The atmosphere had reduced stability because of the large negative temperature gradients measured by a Na lidar. Thus, regions of dynamical and convective instabilities are expected to form, depending on the value of the Richardson number. Bright primary instabilities are formed with a horizontal wavelength near 9 km and showed the subsequent formation of secondary instabilities, rarely seen over Maui, consistent with the primaries being dynamical instabilities. The ratio of the primary to secondary horizontal wavelength was greater over Chile than over Maui. After dissipation of the instabilities, smaller-scale features appeared with sizes in the buoyancy subrange between 1.5 and 6 km. Their size spectra were consistent with the model of Weinstock (1978) if the turbulence is considered to be increasing. The DNS results produce secondary instabilities with sizes comparable to what is seen in the images although their spectra are somewhat steeper than is observed. However, the DNS results also show that after the complete decay of the primary features, scale sizes considerably smaller than 1 km are produced and these cannot be seen by the ANI instrument

GHOST: A Satellite Mission Concept for Persistent Monitoring of Stratospheric Gravity Waves Induced by Severe Storms

The prediction of tropical cyclone rapid intensification is one of the most pressing unsolved problems in hurricane forecasting. The signatures of gravity waves launched by strong convective updrafts are often clearly seen in airglow and carbon dioxide thermal emission spectra under favorable atmospheric conditions. By continuously monitoring the Atlantic hurricane belt from the main development region to the vulnerable sections of the continental U.S. at high cadence it will be possible to investigate the utility of storm-induced gravity wave observations for the diagnosis of impending storm intensification. Such a capability would also enable significant improvements in our ability to characterize the 3D, transient behavior of upper atmospheric gravity waves, and point the way to future observing strategies that could mitigate the risk to human life due to severe storms. This paper describes a new mission concept involving a mid-infrared imager hosted aboard a geostationary satellite positioned at approximately 80°W longitude. The sensor’s 3-km pixel size ensures that gravity wave horizontal structure is adequately resolved, while a 30-s refresh rate enables improved definition of the dynamic intensification process. In this way the transient development of gravity wave perturbations caused by both convective and cyclonic storms may be discerned in near realtime