Midcourse Space Experiment Data Certification and Technology Transfer

The University of Alabama in Huntsville contributes to the Technical Management of the Midcourse Space Experiment Program, to the Certification of the Level 2 data produced by the Midcourse Space Experiment's suite of in-orbit imaging radiometers, imaging spectra-radiometers and an interferometer and to the Transfer of the Midcourse Space Experiment Technology to other Government Programs. The Technical Management of the Midcourse Space Experiment Program is expected to continue through out the spacecraft's useful life time, 5 years after its 1996 launch. The Transfer of Midcourse Space Experiment Technology to other government elements is expected to be on a demand basis by the United States Government and other organizations. The University of Alabama Huntsville' contribution specifically supports the nine Ultraviolet Visible Imagers and Spectrographic Imagers (UVISI) and the Pointing and Alignment of all eleven of the science instruments. The science instruments effectively cover the 0.1 to 28 micron spectral region. The Midcourse Space Experiment spacecraft, launched April 24, 1996, is expected to have a 5 year useful lifetime with a 12 month lifetime for the cryogenically cooled IR sensor. A pre-launch, ground based calibration of the instruments provided a basis for the pre-launch certification of the Level 2 data base these instruments produce. With the spacecraft in-orbit the certification of the instruments' Level 2 data base is being extended to the in-orbit environment.