elib
DLR-Header
DLR-Logo -> http://www.dlr.de
DLR Portal Home | Imprint | Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Contact | Deutsch
Fontsize: [-] Text [+]

A Novel Satellite Mission Concept for Upper Air Water Vapour, Aerosol and Cloud Observations Using Integrated Path Differential Absorption LiDAR Limb Sounding

Hoffmann, Alex and Clifford, Debbie and Aulinas, Josep and Carton, James G. and Deconinck, Florian and Esen, Berivan and Hüsing, Jakob and Kern, Katharina and Kox, Stephan and Krejci, David and Krings, Thomas and Lohrey, Steffen and Romano, Patrick and Topham, Ricardo and Weitnauer, Claudia (2012) A Novel Satellite Mission Concept for Upper Air Water Vapour, Aerosol and Cloud Observations Using Integrated Path Differential Absorption LiDAR Limb Sounding. Remote Sensing, 4, pp. 867-910. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). doi: 10.3390/rs4040867. ISSN 2072-4292.

[img]
Preview
PDF
4MB

Official URL: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/4/4/867/

Abstract

We propose a new satellite mission to deliver high quality measurements of upper air water vapour. The concept centres around a LiDAR in limb sounding by occultation geometry, designed to operate as a very long path system for differential absorption measurements. We present a preliminary performance analysis with a system sized to send 75 mJ pulses at 25 Hz at four wavelengths close to 935 nm, to up to 5 microsatellites in a counter-rotating orbit, carrying retroreflectors characterized by a reflected beam divergence of roughly twice the emitted laser beam divergence of 15 �rad. This provides water vapour profiles with a vertical sampling of 110 m; preliminary calculations suggest that the system could detect concentrations of less than 5 ppm. A secondary payload of a fairly conventional medium resolution multispectral radiometer allows wide-swath cloud and aerosol imaging. The total weight and power of the system are estimated at 3 tons and 2,700 W respectively. This novel concept presents significant challenges, including the performance of the lasers in space, the tracking between the main spacecraft and the retroreflectors, the refractive effects of turbulence, and the design of the telescopes to achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio for the high precision measurements. The mission concept was conceived at the Alpbach Summer School 2010.

Item URL in elib:https://elib.dlr.de/75466/
Document Type:Article
Title:A Novel Satellite Mission Concept for Upper Air Water Vapour, Aerosol and Cloud Observations Using Integrated Path Differential Absorption LiDAR Limb Sounding
Authors:
AuthorsInstitution or Email of AuthorsAuthor's ORCID iDORCID Put Code
Hoffmann, AlexUniv. of Cambridge, UKUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Clifford, DebbieUniv. of Reading, UKUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Aulinas, JosepUniv. of Girona, EUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Carton, James G.Dublin City Univ., IRUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Deconinck, FlorianInst. Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace, Toulouse, FUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Esen, BerivanUniv. of Toronto, CNDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Hüsing, JakobESTEC, ESA, Noordwijk, NLUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Kern, KatharinaUniv. of Graz, AUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Kox, StephanUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Krejci, DavidVienna Univ. of Technology, AUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Krings, ThomasUniv. of BremenUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Lohrey, SteffenUniv. of Oxford, UKUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Romano, PatrickGraz Univ. of Technology, AUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Topham, RicardoInt. Space Univ., Illkirch-Graffenstaden, FUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Weitnauer, ClaudiaUniv. of AugsburgUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date:27 March 2012
Journal or Publication Title:Remote Sensing
Refereed publication:Yes
Open Access:Yes
Gold Open Access:Yes
In SCOPUS:Yes
In ISI Web of Science:Yes
Volume:4
DOI:10.3390/rs4040867
Page Range:pp. 867-910
Publisher:Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
ISSN:2072-4292
Status:Published
Keywords:UTLS; stratosphere; active limb sounding; laser occultation; spaceborne reflectors;
HGF - Research field:Aeronautics, Space and Transport
HGF - Program:Space
HGF - Program Themes:other
DLR - Research area:Raumfahrt
DLR - Program:R - no assignment
DLR - Research theme (Project):R - no assignment
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen
Institutes and Institutions:Institute of Atmospheric Physics > Atmospheric Remote Sensing
Deposited By: Kox, Stephan
Deposited On:11 Apr 2012 15:27
Last Modified:14 Dec 2019 04:25

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Browse
Search
Help & Contact
Information
OpenAIRE Validator logo electronic library is running on EPrints 3.3.12
Website and database design: Copyright © German Aerospace Center (DLR). All rights reserved.