Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2018
Abstract
Understanding the Earth’s lower thermosphere is of high interest to the space science community because of competing forcing due to solar heating above and episodic wave forcing from below. The NSF sponsored OPAL cubesat is designed to measure the temperature profile in this region by observing day-time O2 A time O2 A-band (~760nm) emission on the limb and is expected to be launched from the ISS (International Space Station). To band (~760nm) emission on the limb and is expected to be launched from the ISS (International Space Station). To investigate the instrument’s ability to detect space weather signatures (i.e. solar storms and gravity waves) we have develo investigate the instrument’s ability to detect space weather signatures (i.e. solar storms and gravity waves) we have developed a suite of models that simulate the flight d a suite of models that simulate the flight track of the satellite, the attitude of its optical systems, as well as the expected atmospheric O2 A-band observations that will be seen by the instrument. These models combine in a virtual CCD image that is used to develop and test different OPAL running modes for gravity wave detection.
Recommended Citation
Zia, Kenneth; Taylor, Michael J.; and Scherliess, Ludger, "Investigating the OPAL Cubesat’s Ability to Measure Thermospheric Gravity Waves" (2018). Posters. Paper 1.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ail_posters/1