ULTRAVIOLET/VISIBLE PLUME SIGNATURES OF MANEUVERING REENTRY VEHICLES

THE OPTICAL SIGNATURE OF A REENTRY VEHICLE CAN BE AN IMPORTANT DETECTION, IDENTIFICATION AND/OR TRACKING DIAGNOSTIC FOR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE AND/OR BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE PURPOSES. BELOW APPROXIMATELY 100 KM THE EMISSION AND/OR SOLAR SCATTERED SIGNATURES FROM EXHAUST PLUMES ASSOCIATED WITH ATTITUDE CONTROL JETS AND MANEUVERING ROCKETS CAN BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE'S OVERALL OPTICAL SIGNATURE. THE BALLISTIC MISSILE OFFICE (BMO) CURRENTLY USES MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE JANNAF SPF AND SIRRM CODES TO PRODUCE ESTIMATES OF THE SHORT TO LONG WAVELENGTH INFRARED SIGNATURES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE PLUMES. THIS PROPOSAL PRESENTS A PROGRAM TO EXTEND BMO'S REENTRY VEHICLE PLUME SIGNATURE PREDICTIVE CAPABILITY INTO THE NEAR INFRARED, VISIBLE AND ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRAL REGIONS BETWEEN 2.0 AND 0.2 MICROMETERS IN WAVELENGTH.