Space Sensor Measures Aerosol Impact On Climate

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Space Sensor Measures Aerosol Impact On Climate

3/1/2009
By Robert H. Williams

NASA will soon be receiving a space-based system that should help scientists better understand the impact of aerosols on climate change and global warming.

Under development by Raytheon Co. of El Segundo, Calif., the aerosol polarimetry sensor so far has successfully undergone integration, baseline performance characterization and vibration testing. Next up is an electromagnetic and thermal vacuum exercise to determine its performance in space.

The sensor will be used in a three-year climate monitoring mission aboard the space agency’s Glory satellite.

“With 161 optical elements, including six precision aligned telescopes, the sensor is designed to distinguish and characterize various aerosols and accurately measure their global distribution and lifetime,” says a spokesman.

It should be delivered to NASA between now and the end of March.

Topics: Energy, Climate Change, Space

Comments (0)

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Please enter the text displayed in the image.

Characters *

Legal Notice *

NDIA is not responsible for screening, policing, editing, or monitoring your or another user's postings and encourages all of its users to use reasonable discretion and caution in evaluating or reviewing any posting. Moreover, and except as provided below with respect to NDIA's right and ability to delete or remove a posting (or any part thereof), NDIA does not endorse, oppose, or edit any opinion or information provided by you or another user and does not make any representation with respect to, nor does it endorse the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement, or other material displayed, uploaded, or distributed by you or any other user. Nevertheless, NDIA reserves the right to delete or take other action with respect to postings (or parts thereof) that NDIA believes in good faith violate this Legal Notice and/or are potentially harmful or unlawful. If you violate this Legal Notice, NDIA may, in its sole discretion, delete the unacceptable content from your posting, remove or delete the posting in its entirety, issue you a warning, and/or terminate your use of the NDIA site. Moreover, it is a policy of NDIA to take appropriate actions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other applicable intellectual property laws. If you become aware of postings that violate these rules regarding acceptable behavior or content, you may contact NDIA at 703.522.1820.

I have read the legal notice.

Find an Article VIEW ALL ARTICLES