Document Type

Presentation

Journal/Book Title/Conference

SPIE Optics + Photonics 2025

Publisher

Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Publication Date

2025

First Page

1

Last Page

12

Abstract

• NASA’s Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (DYNAMIC) mission aims to characterize the energy transfer between the ionosphere, thermosphere, and mesosphere

– Identified as a high priority solar terrestrial probe mission in two decadal surveys

– Led by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• The Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS) is being developed for flight on the DYNAMIC satellite

– Will provide the first comprehensive global dataset of winds and temperature in the mesosphere and thermosphere (40–250 km altitude)

– Designed and built by Space Dynamics Lab (SDL)

• DWTS observes the Doppler shift of atmospheric NO and 13CO2 emission lines using gas filter correlation radiometry with an onboard gas cell cooled to near cryogenic temperatures

• While instrument gas cells have some heritage in space flight, the DWTS gas cell was identified as having a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4, the lowest assembly in the instrument

• This presentation gives an overview of the DWTS instrument and efforts undertaken to space qualify the gas cell by maturing the TRL to 6

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