The Arctic Observing Mission (AOM) is currently under mission concept study by the Government of Canada for potential implementation with prospective U.S. and European partners. It would use two satellites in a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) to make geostationary-like observations of greenhouse gases (GHGs), air quality species of interest, meteorology, and space weather over northern regions. An imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (iFTS) has been selected as the technology for GHG observations. To elevate the technology readiness level of the iFTS, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded contracts to Canadian industry and academia to advance the technology. An iFTS instrument suitable for sub-orbit demonstration has been built. Calibration techniques and software suites for processing the acquired iFTS image data have been developed. The CSA has flown the iFTS instrument in a stratospheric balloon campaign from its CSA-CNES Stratos Balloon Facility based in Timmins, Ontario, Canada to demonstrate its ability to measure GHGs over the boreal forest from an altitude of 37km. This paper briefly describes the development of the iFTS instrument and its adaptations to the stratospheric balloon platform for sub-orbital flight demonstration. The paper also reports instrument pre- and post-flight calibration, FTS image data processing techniques, retrieval of GHG data products and a brief analysis of these products. The balloon flight demonstration with a sub-optimal geometry and low cost iFTS prototype delivered GHG data products that met all expectations. This work not only elevated the technology readiness level of the iFTS technology, but also provided lessons that greatly benefit the development of the iFTS for the AOM mission.
The PCW (Polar Communications and Weather) mission is a dual satellite mission with each satellite in a highly eccentric orbit with apogee ~42,000 km and a period (to be decided) in the 12–24 hour range to deliver continuous communications and meteorological data over the Arctic and environs. Such as satellite duo can give 24×7 coverage over the Arctic. The operational meteorological instrument is a 21-channel spectral imager similar to the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). The PHEOS-WCA (weather, climate and air quality) mission is intended as an atmospheric science complement to the operational PCW mission. The target PHEOS-WCA instrument package considered optimal to meet the full suite of science team objectives consists of FTS and UVS imaging sounders with viewing range of ~4.5° or a Field of Regard (FoR) ~ 3400×3400 km2 from near apogee. The goal for the spatial resolution at apogee of each imaging sounder is 10×10 km2 or better and the goal for the image repeat time is targeted at ~2 hours or better. The FTS has 4 bands that span the MIR and NIR with a spectral resolution of 0.25 cm−1. They should provide vertical tropospheric profiles of temperature and water vapour in addition to partial columns of many other gases of interest for air quality. The two NIR bands target columns of CO2, CH4 and aerosol optical depth (OD). The UVS is an imaging spectrometer that covers the spectral range of 280–650 nm with 0.9 nm resolution and targets the tropospheric column densities of O3 and NO2 and several other Air Quality (AQ) gases as well the Aerosol Index (AI).
SciSat-1, otherwise known as the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), is a Canadian satellite mission for remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere. It was launched into low Earth orbit (altitude 650 km, inclination 74 degrees) in August 2003. The primary instrument onboard ACE is a high resolution (maximum path difference ± 25 cm) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) operating from 2.4 to 13.3 microns (750-4100 cm-1). The satellite also features a dual spectrograph known as MAESTRO with wavelength coverage 280-1000 nm and resolution 1-2 nm. A pair of filtered CMOS detector arrays takes images of the sun at 0.525 and 1.02 nm. Working primarily in solar occultation, the satellite provides altitude profile information for temperature, pressure, and the volume mixing ratios for several dozen molecules of atmospheric interest. Scientific goals for ACE include: (1) understanding the chemical and dynamical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the stratosphere and upper troposphere; (2) exploring the relationship between atmospheric chemistry and climate change; (3) studying the effects of biomass burning in the free troposphere; and (4) measuring aerosols to reduce the uncertainties in their effects on the global energy balance.
SciSat-1, otherwise known as the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), is a Canadian satellite mission for remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere. It was launched into low Earth orbit (altitude 650 km, inclination 74 degrees) in August 2003. The primary instrument onboard ACE is a high resolution (maximum path difference ± 25 cm) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) operating from 2.4 to 13.3 microns (750-4100 cm-1). The satellite also features a dual spectrograph known as MAESTRO with wavelength coverage 280-1000 nm and resolution 1-2 nm. A pair of filtered CMOS detector arrays takes images of the sun at 0.525 and 1.02 nm. Working primarily in solar occultation, the satellite provides altitude profile information for temperature, pressure, and the volume mixing ratios for several dozen molecules of atmospheric interest. Scientific goals for ACE include: (1) understanding the chemical and dynamical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the stratosphere and upper troposphere; (2) exploring the relationship between atmospheric chemistry and climate change; (3) studying the effects of biomass burning in the free troposphere; and (4) measuring aerosols to reduce the uncertainties in their effects on the global energy balance.
KEYWORDS: Fourier transforms, Sensors, Databases, Signal to noise ratio, Atmospheric modeling, Data modeling, Imaging systems, Molecules, Satellites, Temperature metrology
The SCISAT-1 mission, also known as the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), is a Canadian satellite mission to investigate the chemical and dynamical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the stratosphere and upper troposphere. The satellite is scheduled to launch in August 2003, carrying two main instruments: a high-resolution infrared Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and a dual grating UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer known as MAESTRO (Measurement of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation) both operating primarily in solar occultation mode. Aspects of the mission pertaining to work done by ACE science team members from the University of Waterloo will be described, such as: the ACE-FTS forward model for retrieval of temperature, pressure and VMR profiles; ACE-FTS instrument testing and results; and the ACE Database along with data storage and processing hardware.
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