State and Future of Satellites and State and Future of Satellites and Airborne PlatformsAirborne Platforms

Mark SchoeberlGSFC

Timeline

• Aura will end about 2013-15 • NAS Missions

– GeoCAPE (GEOMAC) is a geostationary mission – GACM (LEOMAC) is a LEO Chemistry Mission– ACE (ACOB) is an aerosol -precip-ocean color mission

• Glory (‘09) will have aerosol capability• NPP (‘09) will have aerosol capability and total column ozone (OMPS)• MetOP carries GOME II which has OMI trace gas capability (40 x 80km

resolution) and IASI which might measure CO

2005 20152010 2020

Aura GeoCAPE and ACE(2013-2016)

GACM(2016-2020)

NPPGlory NPOESS

MetOP

Lifetime Limitation for Aura

• Mission life limited by fuel ~ 2013-15 we would move out of orbit to 25 year decay altitude.

• Instrument life– OMI - moving parts – TES - life limited by bearing oil, probably will last

to 2009– MLS - moving parts– HIRDLS - moving parts

Science Needs

• Stratospheric Chemistry1) Is the stratosphere ozone recovering as expected?

• Tropospheric chemistry1) How is local and regional pollution affecting global air

quality, precipitation and climate?2) How is the composition of upper troposphere changing due

to change in climate and pollution?

Tropospheric Ozone Residual

March-April

OMI- MLS Trop. Column Average Mixing Ratio

Measurement Needs1) How is local and regional pollution affecting global air

quality,precipitation and climate?• Need to measure all 5 criteria pollutants: O3, SO2, NO2,

PM2.5, some hydorcarbon, and CO at high spatial resolution (~5 km).

• Need aerosol absorption information for actinic flux and surface radiation calculation.

• Need some vertical and temporal information.• Need precipitation information (GPM)

2) How is the composition of upper troposphere changing due to change in climate and pollution?

• Need O3, CO, H2O and aerosol and cloud ice information in the upper trop.

• Is the stratosphere ozone recovering as expected? • Need O3 column, O3 profile, plus few trace gases important

for strat chemistry (N2O, HNO3, HCL, H2O, Aerosols - minimum).

Needed Missions• Stratosphere

– Non-SSO LEO mission: launch in ~2012 • VIS/SWIR solar occultation (like SAGE III or POAM)• IR solar occ (like HALOE, ACE).

• Troposphere (NAS) missions– GEO Mission: launch in ~2014-6

• Reflected sunlight instrument(s) similar to OMI• High spectral resolution IR instrument to measure mid

trop O3 and CO.– LEO Mission: launch in ~2017

• Reflected sunlight instrument(s) similar to OMI• High spectral resolution IR or µ-wave instrument to

measure mid trop O3 CO and other gases.– LEO bridge mission to cover gap: launch ~2013

Airborne AssetsNASA continues to invest in robotic aircraft

1. Altair2. Ikhana (Predator - B)3. Global Hawk (future)4. G-III5. WB-576. DC-87. ER-2

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Issues with over the horizon control and high data rate

downlink existPiloted

Other NASA AircraftP3, Proteus, B-200, etc.

PerformanceDryden

10

Altair / Predator-B Connection

UAS Demonstrations requiring a stand-alone payload

• Science mission demos• Civil mission demos• New science sensors• New mission sensors (e.g.

see/avoid)

UAS Demonstrations requiring the integration of payload and flight controls & automated mission management

• Autonomous science demos• Autonomous civil demos• Integrated system management• Contingency management

Altair (lease) Predator-B (own)

Summary

• The chemistry community needs to get behind the NAS missions and develop a strategy to add the two needed missions

• Airborne activities are increasingly headed toward UAVs - we need to take advantage of this capability instead of complaining

EndEnd