The Student Airborne Science Activation (SaSa) Program was an 8-week summer internship for undergraduates from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Its goal was to give students hands-on research experience in airborne science and training in professional development. SaSa took place at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) during the summer of 2022. The NASA P-3 aircraft was equipped with in situ and remote sensors, including the Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR), Spectrometers for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR), and the Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment (LARGE) instrument suite, to collect aerosol and cloud properties. SaSa was supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Activation Program.
Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for measurements of atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
The Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) is an in situ spectrometer developed by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It can be used on both airborne and ground-based platforms to measure aerosol size distribution and concentration. UHSAS determines particle size by detecting the peak light signals from aerosol particles illuminated by a 1054 nm laser. It can sample particles in the 60–1000 nm size range and operates at a sampling frequency of 10 Hz.
Nephelometers are in situ optical sensors that can be airborne or ground-based. They measure the total scattering and backscattering of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. Nephelometers operate at three wavelengths: 450 nm, 550 nm, and 700 nm, with a typical time resolution of 1 Hz.
The Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) is an in situ spectrometer manufactured by TSI Instruments. APS measures aerodynamic particles in the 0.5-20 μm size range. It also measures the light-scattering intensity of the particles in the 0.37-20 μm optical size range. APS provides particle size distributions for 52 channels at a typical sampling time of 1 second. It uses a laser diode operating at 655 nm and has a size resolution of 0.02 μm at 1 μm. APS can be deployed on aircraft, ships, or ground-based platforms.
The Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP) is an in situ airborne photometer manufactured by Radiance Research. It applies Beer's Law to measure the change in light transmission of aerosol particles. These measurements help determine aerosol absorption and extinction. PSAP operates across three wavelengths (467, 530, and 660 nm) and has a 1-second time resolution. It is usually deployed on aircraft, but it can also be used on ships and vehicles.
Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) are in situ sensors that measure aerosol particle concentrations. CPCs determine aerosol levels by condensing fluid onto particles, causing them to grow to sizes detectable by optical scattering. Typically, CPCs can detect particles ranging from 7 nm to 3 μm, measure concentrations up to 100,000 particles per cubic centimeter, and provide readings every second. CPCs are manufactured by TSI Incorporated and can be used on airborne, shipborne, and ground-based platforms.
The Spectrometers for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4-STAR) is an airborne sun-sky spectrometer that measures direct solar irradiance and sky radiance. These measurements can be used to retrieve column-integrated information on aerosols, clouds, and trace gases such as aerosol optical depth, extinction, and single scattering albedo. 4-STAR operates in the 350-1650 nm wavelength range and has a typical horizontal resolution of about 100 m.
The Multispectral Infrared Camera M350 (MS M350) is an airborne infrared system made by Telops Inc. It captures infrared images over eight spectral bands in the 1.5-5.4 μm wavelength range. It has a 640 x 512 pixels resolution and a maximum full-window frame rate of 355 Hz. It is commonly used for agriculture, gas detection, fire monitoring, waste management, and mineral detection.
The Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (CFDC) is an in situ airborne optical particle counter (OPC). It uses vertical flow through two chambers with different wall temperatures to grow ice particles inside the OPC at the bottom of the instrument, which helps determine particle size distribution. The CFDC can also measure flow rate, temperature, and humidity if conditions are stable. It measures the size distribution of aerosol particles ranging from 0.4 to 20 mm. The device counts particles every 0.2 seconds and records particle spectra every 10 seconds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
The Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) is an airborne multichannel scanning radiometer developed by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). CAR provides measurements of scattered radiance and bidirectional surface reflectance across 14 spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths (0.34-2.30 µm). It also captures imagery of cloud and surface features on Earth. CAR has a scan rate of 1.67 Hz (100 rpm) and a spatial resolution of 4 meters at nadir, at an altitude of 200 meters above ground.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Radiative Transfer
The Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment (LARGE) is an in situ airborne instrument suite that measures aerosol and cloud microphysical and optical properties, such as size distribution, number concentration, and scattering and absorption coefficients. LARGE includes several instruments, such as the Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS), Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler (PILS), Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP), Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer (CAS), Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP), and additional cloud and aerosol sensors. The LARGE instruments operate over the 450-700 nm wavelength range, detect particles ranging from 0.003 to 20 μm, and measure at a frequency of 1 Hz. It is primarily used for airborne measurements but can also be deployed on ground-based platforms like vehicles.
