Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer (DASH) for Measuring Winds in the Upper Atmosphere (90-300km)

The primary goal of Phase I of this SBIR is an exploratory development to determine the instrument requirements needed to measure neutral winds in the upper atmosphere (90-300km) by passively measuring the Doppler shift of atomic oxygen airglow emission lines with a field-widened Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne interferometer (DASH) instrument aboard a satellite platform in low Earth orbit. DASH interferometers are a new development of the optical technique of Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy (SHS) and offer the potential to provide low-power, light weight miniaturized instruments capable of wavelength resolutions required for measuring upper atmospheric winds to an accuracy of better than 20m/s through Doppler shift measurements. The conceptual flight design to be completed in Phase I will determine the mass, power, size and estimated cost of building a miniaturized DASH instrument to observe both the upper atmospheric green line and red line airglow emissions at 557.7nm and 630nm, covering the requirement altitude range of 90-300km. The secondary goal for Phase I is to complete a conceptual breadboard design for a ground-based DASH instrument to measure upper atmospheric winds. A breadboard design provides the basis for a Phase II SBIR where a DASH breadboard instrument would be built and fielded.