LITES and GROUP-C: multi-sensor ionospheric imaging from the ISS

Andrew W. Stephan; Scott A. Budzien; Susanna C. Finn; Timothy A. Cook; Supriya Chakrabarti; Steven P. Powell; Mark L. Psiaki

doi:10.1117/12.2061420

15 September 2014 Ionospheric imaging using merged ultraviolet airglow and radio occultation data

Andrew W. Stephan, Scott A. Budzien, Susanna C. Finn, Timothy A. Cook, Supriya Chakrabarti, Steven P. Powell, Mark L. Psiaki

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9222, Imaging Spectrometry XIX; 92220M (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2061420
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2014, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Limb-imaging Ionospheric and Thermospheric Extreme-ultraviolet Spectrograph (LITES) and GPS Radio Occultation and Ultraviolet Photometry-Colocated (GROUP-C) experiments are being considered for flight aboard the Space Test Program Houston 5 (STP-H5) experiment pallet to the International Space Station (ISS). LITES is a compact imaging spectrograph that makes one-dimensional images of atmospheric and ionospheric ultraviolet (60-140 nm) airglow above the limb of the Earth. The LITES optical design is advantageous in that it uses a toroidal grating as its lone optical surface to create these high-sensitivity images without the need for any moving parts. GROUP-C consists of two instruments: a nadir-viewing ultraviolet photometer that measures nighttime ionospheric airglow at 135.6 nm with unprecedented sensitivity, and a GPS receiver that measures ionospheric electron content and scintillation with the assistance of a novel antenna array designed for multipath mitigation. By flying together, these two experiments form an ionospheric observatory aboard the ISS that will provide new capability to study low- and mid-latitude ionospheric structures on a global scale. This paper presents the design and implementation of the LITES and GROUP-C experiments on the STP-H5 payload that will combine for the first time high-sensitivity in-track photometry with vertical spectrographic imagery of ionospheric airglow to create high-fidelity images of ionospheric structures. The addition of the GPS radio occultation measurement provides the unique opportunity to constrain, as well as cross-validate, the merged airglow measurements.

Citation Download Citation

Andrew W. Stephan, Scott A. Budzien, Susanna C. Finn, Timothy A. Cook, Supriya Chakrabarti, Steven P. Powell, and Mark L. Psiaki "Ionospheric imaging using merged ultraviolet airglow and radio occultation data", Proc. SPIE 9222, Imaging Spectrometry XIX, 92220M (15 September 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2061420

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