Advances in Earth observing technologies are required to fulfill NASA's long-term vision for Earth system prediction in the years 2010 to 2020. The observing system during these years will include satellites in a variety of orbits including smaller, smarter ones in low Earth orbit, large aperture sensors in medium Earth orbit and geostationary orbit to provide enhanced temporal coverage and perhaps sentinel satellites at Lagrange points L1 and L2 to provide synoptic views of the entire globe. These higher vistas can meet pending science challenges in a variety of areas directly relevant to NASA’s plans. They include, among others, meeting high temporal and spatial resolutions to observe rapidly evolving chemical events in the global atmosphere, meeting the requirements of increased spatial and temporal sensing of varying precipitation events over portions of the globe, and the increased temporal coverage necessary to see clear skies over coastal regions for coastal process monitoring.
A set of technology tradeoffs and needs that meet the above science challenges can be identified. They include an increase in collecting aperture for passive measurements, increased transmitted power for active measurements, and improved on-board processing coupled with enhanced bandwidth communications as data collection increases. The technologies will involve differentiating filled versus sparse aperture collection systems, developing advanced scanning capabilities and large array detectors, as well as large structure pointing control and metrology. This talk will examine these issues for a range of NASA Earth science measurements.
An analytical description of the scattered light from a 10 meter diameter Diffractive Optical Element lens-based telescope operating at 1 micron wavelength has been formulated. The specifics of the grating and blaze as well as physical manufacturing constraints were made a part of the problem to be solved. A major simplifying approximation made is that a 1 dimensional lens was assumed for the calculations. This simplified model still serves to illustrate the important effects and limitations of a high performance lens used as a telescope. Focal plane light scattering has been rigorously determined for simplified cases.
An advanced Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), now in concept development for a potential future mission, is a space-borne heterodyne instrument to measure pressure, temperature, and atmospheric constituents from thermal emission between 120 and 2400 GHz. Previous MLS instruments used pencil-beam antennas sized to resolve ~1 vertical scale height. Current atmospheric models need better horizontal resolution than orbit spacing provides. To meet these needs, a new antenna concept combines the wide scan range of the parabolic torus with unblocked offset Cassegrain optics. The resulting system is diffraction-limited in the vertical plane but extremely astigmatic, with beamwidths 0.13×2.5°. Nadir axis symmetry ensures that this Beam Aspect Ratio (BAR) is invariant over ±33 degrees of azimuth. The antenna can feed either an array of receivers or multiplexed low-noise receivers whose FOVs are swept by a small scanning mirror. We describe 3 stages of antenna design: First, using a paraxial-optics method, we choose conic profiles given vertical resolution orbit geometry, then develop the surfaces by nadir axis rotation, matching axisymmetric feeds to the BAR. A ray-trace program validates the design and generates alignment and deformation tolerances. Finally, a physical optics analysis verifies reflector surface currents and radiation patterns.
This paper describes the design of infrared filters using methods drawn from microwave and millimeter wave filters. Special note is made of approximations made in the infrared design, and ways to improve upon these approximations. Results from the design, manufacture and test of linear wedge filters built using microlithographic techniques and used in spectral imaging applications will be presented.
Linear variable filters have found increasing applicability in spectrally selective optical instruments. They serve as moderate resolution spectral discriminators in astronomical instruments and in reconnaissance equipment. They perform extremely well as 'sliding out-of-band blocking filters' when used in conjunction with grating spectrometers.
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