AIRBORNE DEMONSTRATION OF MODULATED FIBER LASER LIDAR FOR CLIMATE STUDIES WILL PROVIDE A DATASET AND SUPPOR…

Public award description

AIRBORNE DEMONSTRATION OF MODULATED FIBER LASER LIDAR FOR CLIMATE STUDIES WILL PROVIDE A DATASET AND SUPPORTING ANALYSIS FOR USE BY LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING A MODULATED FIBER LASER LIDARS (MFLL) FOR THE REMOTE SENSING OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) IN THE EARTH ATMOSPHERE FROM SATELLITE ALTITUDES. THE DATA SET AND ANALYSIS PROVIDED UNDER THIS EFFORT WILL BE BY LARC TO DETERMINE IF A MFLL CAN BE SCALED IN POWER AND APERTURE TO PROVIDE MEASUREMENTS OF SUFFICIENT ACCURACY AND PRECISION TO ASSIST IN UNDERSTANDING REGIONAL CO2 SOURCES AND SINKS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE DATA SETS FROM FLIGHT TESTS OF A SENSOR SUITE TO INCLUDE A CO2 MFLL OPERATING AT 1.57-M AND A LASER ALTIMETER, ALONG WITH CO2 IN-SITU SENSORS. THESE DATA SETS SHALL BE PROVIDED FROM FLIGHTS CONDUCTED FROM PATRICK HENRY FIELD IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER AND SHALL ALLOW THE CHARACTERIZATION AND VERIFICATION OF THE CONTRACTOR'S INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE IN RETRIEVING THE CO2 IN THE LOWER TROPOSPHERE.THESE DATA SETS SHALL SUPPORT THE ANALYSIS OF CO2 RETRIEVALS OVER REGIONS OF VARYING REFLECTIVITY (LAND AND WATER) AND PRESSURE AND DURING BOTH DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME.