Distributed Optical Imaging of the Upper Atmosphere

The widespread use of GPS-guided ordinance (e.g. JDAM) requires mission planning tools to detect space weather events that might adversely affect GPS targeting accuracy, navigation and HF communications. Essentially, lack of real time knowledge of space-weather induced electromagnetic disturbances in the field can cause death or injury to non-combatants. This effort is aimed at developing hardware and software for a distributed network of low cost, all weather ground based ionospheric imagers to monitor real time space weather conditions. This nighttime observational network will be able to capture space weather events that disrupt electromagnetic communications systems, including the effectiveness of GPS-guided ordinance. DoD has C4I assets spread across the globe. Reliable and predictable communications is a very high priority. Our approach involves low light multi-spectral imaging of the ionosphere from multiple locations on the ground. In addition to working in realistic field conditions, the imagers will have the ability to discern cloud movement that can occlude vision to the upper reaches of the ionosphere. This technology will therefore provide valuable real time weather, seeing and atmospheric slant path visibility data that is highly useful to both ground and air operations as well as space based reconnaissance activities.