Science MissionDirectorate

Suborbital Sciences Program

UAV Opportunities ConferenceAkron, OH 27 April 2005 Cheryl Yuhas

2

Suborbital Science Programs

Objectives

•Development of new space sensors and new remote-sensing techniques.

•Satellite calibration/validation.

• Targeted observations of ephemeral phenomena with variable temporal and spatial scales.

•Atmosphere/near-space in-situ observations.

•Improvement and validation of predictive Earth process models using satellite data.

•Next-generation scientists with hands-on sensor hardware and field experiment experience.

To understand and protect our home planet, we need data from multiple perspectives. Suborbital fills time and space gap between surface observing networks and orbital platforms.

Sounding Rocket Program

Balloon Program

Aircraft & UAV Programs

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Suborbital (Aircraft/UAVs) Program

Catalog

Demonstrated or proven platforms from a variety of sources, selected based on 3-5 year science requirements.

New Technology Platforms

Finite (5-10yr) commitments (e.g. long-term leases) of experimental platforms & enabling technologies, to enable new science from new vantage points.

Science Missions & New Sensors

Integrated mission & field campaign management for all suborbital earth science missions; potential to include sensor development to accompany new platform capabilities.

Systematic meas. of atmosphere, ocean, and land surface parameters

“How Can Weather Forecast Duration and Reliability Be Improved By New Space-Based Observations, Assimilation, and Modeling?”

By 201

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•Hurricane landfa

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te enough for evacu

ation d

ecisio

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•Win

ter sto

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priate

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•Regio

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NASA/NOAA collaborative centers

Steady, evolutionary improvement in weather prediction accuracy due to ongoing model refinement in operational agencies, finer-scale model resolution, improved use of probabilistic and statistical forecasting aided by multiple-component ensemble initializations, and incorporation of radar and aircraft-measurements

Knowledge Bas

e

20022004 2007

NRA20062005

2010

NRA20112003 2012 2013 2014 2015 2008 2009

Weather satellite

sensor and technique

development; used by NOAA

Improvements require:

• Focused validation experiments

• New Technology

• Impact Assessments

Observations of tropical rainfall/energy release

High-resolution global measurements of temperature, moisture, cloud properties, and aerosols

Global monitoring of water, energy, clouds, and air quality/Operational prototype missions

Global tropospheric winds

Satellite-derived localized heating inputs will allow regional

models to have better predictive capabilities.

Use of NOAA operational models to optimize assimilation of NASA’s new satellite data will ensure realistic and accelerated use of new technology and techniques.

New, high-resolution temperature and moisture sounding will provide needed information to describe the atmospheric dynamics, cloud distributions for radiation modeling, aerosol concentrations for air quality projection, and better imagery of severe weather phenomena like hurricanes, floods, and snow/ice cover.

High-resolution sounding for fast forecast updates

Soil moisture

Funded

Unfunded

T

Proposed Global Precipitation

Continuous lightning

Improved Improved forecastsforecasts

Improved physical Improved physical & dynamical & dynamical processesprocesses

= Field Campaign

NRA

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Suborbital Current Observing CapabilitiesAircraft/UAVs

DC8

GHPr

ALTUS-II

LALTUS-I

P3

0 4000 8000 12000Range (nm)

0

10

20

30A

ltit

ude

(km

)

Payload is proportional to font size (truncated at 2000 lb. and 600 lb.)Bold indicates payload greater than 2000 lb.

Tropical Tropopause

Polar Tropopause

Troposphere

Syn

opti

c S

cale

Pla

net

ary

Sca

le

Stratosphere

Wal

ker

Cir

cula

tion

ITC

Z W

idth

Mes

osca

le

Convective Detrainment

Boundary Layer

GH = Global Hawk

Pr = Proteus

L = Lear Jet

UAV

Performance Envelope

ALTAIR

WB57ER2

Cirrus

(ALTUS I)

(ALTUS II)(ALTAIR)

Newman & Schoeberl, GSFC

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Aeronautics-Science Partnership for New Capabilities

0.1 day

1.0 day

10 day

100 day

Alti

tude

(kf

t)

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

2.0 day

5.0 day

20 day

50 day

0.2 day

0.5 day

1000 kg

1 kg

1000 kg

200 kg

Current ROA Capability

Extended HALE ROA Requirements

300 kg

Endurance

4 kg

Piloted Aircraft Capability

200kg1

1000kg4

30kg2

200kg 3

50 kg

10,000kg6

7

10

9

17

14

150kg13

11

128 2000kg5

10,000kg15

3000kg19

200kg16

Current HALE UAV Platforms

Performance Objective #4:Heavy-Lifter

Performance Objective #1:

Storm Tracker

150kg21

150kg18

150kg20

200kg

200kg

Performance Objective #3:Global Ranger

Performance Objective #2:

Global Observer

0.1 day

1.0 day

10 day

100 day

Alti

tude

(kf

t)

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

Alti

tude

(kf

t)

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

2.0 day

5.0 day

20 day

50 day

0.2 day

0.5 day

1000 kg

1 kg1 kg

1000 kg

200 kg

Current ROA Capability

Extended HALE ROA Requirements

300 kg300 kg

Endurance

4 kg

Piloted Aircraft Capability

200kg1

200kg1

1000kg4

1000kg4

30kg2

30kg2

200kg 3200kg 3

50 kg50 kg

10,000kg6

10,000kg6

77

1010

99

1717

1414

150kg13

150kg13

1111

121288 2000kg5 2000kg5

10,000kg15 10,000kg15

3000kg19 3000kg19

200kg16 200kg16

Current HALE UAV Platforms

Performance Objective #4:Heavy-Lifter

Performance Objective #1:

Storm Tracker

150kg21

150kg18

150kg20

150kg21 150kg21

150kg18 150kg18

150kg20 150kg20

200kg200kg

200kg

Performance Objective #3:Global Ranger

Performance Objective #2:

Global Observer

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Results of SSMF Workshop

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An Integrated Earth Observing System