Abstract
The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is the first dedicated NASA mission to investigate global gravity wave properties in the upper atmosphere and their impacts on the ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere (ITM). The AWE Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) will fly on the ISS and measure temperature waves in the OH airglow layer. The OH temperature waves are produced by gravity waves that rise from the Troposphere into the Mesosphere and spread out horizontally in the OH airglow layer at ~87km altitude, carrying energy and momentum with them. The temperature waves are observed by measuring the background-subtracted ratio of OH P1(2) and P1(4) emission line radiances. The AWE calibration will be performed at SDL in the large THOR chamber using collimator and extended blackbody sources. The AMTM has a very large 90° field-of-view, and the ground calibration must be performed over this full range, requiring a 2-axis gimbal platform in the THOR chamber. This paper will summarize ISS-specific challenges and ground and on-orbit calibration plans.
Atmospheric Waves Experiment (WAVE) Calibration
The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is the first dedicated NASA mission to investigate global gravity wave properties in the upper atmosphere and their impacts on the ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere (ITM). The AWE Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) will fly on the ISS and measure temperature waves in the OH airglow layer. The OH temperature waves are produced by gravity waves that rise from the Troposphere into the Mesosphere and spread out horizontally in the OH airglow layer at ~87km altitude, carrying energy and momentum with them. The temperature waves are observed by measuring the background-subtracted ratio of OH P1(2) and P1(4) emission line radiances. The AWE calibration will be performed at SDL in the large THOR chamber using collimator and extended blackbody sources. The AMTM has a very large 90° field-of-view, and the ground calibration must be performed over this full range, requiring a 2-axis gimbal platform in the THOR chamber. This paper will summarize ISS-specific challenges and ground and on-orbit calibration plans.