Sensing of Upper Atmosphere

Accurate observations and forecasts of meteorological conditions in the battlespace are of extreme importance to the most effective employment of military assets. In many instances, it is not possible to gather in-situ meteorological data by routine means such as sounding balloons carrying radiosondes. There is a need to provide a means by which such data may be gathered with the requisite accuracy and density even over denied or hostile territory; it is also desirable to obtain such measurements in the most covert manner possible. In Phase I, a proof-of-concept system centered around a balloon-borne dropsonde launcher was designed, fabricated, and demonstrated. Phase II work will involve a series of incremental improvements to the Phase I design, along with flight tests to demonstrate each improvement. Key improvements will be centered around the dropsondes, balloon technology, launcher design, and communications systems. At the conclusion of Phase II, a fully-proven system for retrieving in-situ meteorological profiles over hostile or denied territory will have been designed and field tested, and will be ready for production. Two prototype systems will be delivered to the Air Force for evaluation.