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The Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE): An Airborne Direct Detection Doppler Lidar Instrument Development ProgramGlobal measurement of tropospheric winds is a key measurement for understanding atmospheric dynamics and improving numerical weather prediction. Global wind profiles remain a high priority for the operational weather community and also for a variety of research applications including studies of the global hydrologic cycle and transport studies of aerosols and trace species. In addition to space based winds, a high altitude airborne system flown on UAV or other advanced platforms would be of great interest for studying mesoscale dynamics and hurricanes. The Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE) project was selected in 2005 by the NASA Earth Sun Technology Office as part of the Instrument Incubator Program. TWiLiTE will leverage significant research and development investments in key technologies made in the past several years. The primary focus will be on integrating these sub-systems into a complete molecular direct detection Doppler wind lidar system designed for autonomous operation on a high altitude aircraft, such as the NASA WB57, so that the nadir viewing lidar will be able to profile winds through the full troposphere. TWiLiTE is a collaboration involving scientists and technologists from NASA Goddard, NOAA ESRL, Utah State University Space Dynamics Lab and industry partners Michigan Aerospace Corporation and Sigma Space Corporation. NASA Goddard and it's partners have been at the forefront in the development of key lidar technologies (lasers, telescopes, scanning systems, detectors and receivers) required to enable spaceborne global wind lidar measurement. The TWiLiTE integrated airborne Doppler lidar instrument will be the first demonstration of a airborne scanning direct detection Doppler lidar and will serve as a critical milestone on the path to a fixture spaceborne tropospheric wind system. The completed system will have the capability to profile winds in clear air from the aircraft altitude of 18 h to the surface with 250 m vertical resolution and less than 2 meters per second velocity accuracy. The instrument design, technologies and predicted performance will be presented.
Document ID
20070016553
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Gentry, Bruce
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
McGill, Matthew
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Schwemmer, Geary
(Science Engineering Services Columbia, MD, United States)
Hardesty, Michael
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
Brewer, Alan
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
Wilkerson, Thomas
(Utah State Univ. Logan, UT, United States)
Atlas, Robert
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Miami, FL, United States)
Sirota, Marcos
(Sigma Space Corp. Lanham, MD, United States)
Lindemann, Scott
(Michigan Aerospace Corp. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2006
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Meeting Information
Meeting: 7th International Symposium on Tropospheric Profiling: Needs and Technologies
Location: Boulder, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: June 11, 2006
End Date: June 17, 2006
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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