Session
Technical Session III: Science/Mission Payloads
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Stratospheric ozone represents only a tiny fraction of the atmosphere, yet is vitally important for life on Earth. Measurements from satellites provided data on the initial decline of ozone in the late 1970s and early 1980s that supported the adoption of the Montreal Protocol, and current observations hint at a potential recovery. Adequate determination of that recovery requires continuous and, in the case of multiple instruments, overlapping data records. However, most current satellite systems are well beyond their expected lifetimes, and are large and expensive to build and launch. A new measurement paradigm is needed to enable cost-effective, sustainable measurements of atmospheric ozone into the 2040s when ozone is expected to recover.
The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment IV (SAGE IV) is an example of an innovative mission that can sustain a crucial science measurement at a fraction of the costs of traditional, larger missions. SAGE IV is a solar occultation imager capable of measuring ozone, aerosol, and other trace gas species with the same quality as previous SAGE instruments (including SAGE III currently on International Space Station (ISS)), yet takes advantage of recent technological advancements to reduce its overall size, fitting inside a 6U CubeSat bus. This paper describes the SAGE IV instrument.
Sustainable Ozone and Aerosol Measurements from a 6U CubeSat: The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) IV Pathfinder
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Stratospheric ozone represents only a tiny fraction of the atmosphere, yet is vitally important for life on Earth. Measurements from satellites provided data on the initial decline of ozone in the late 1970s and early 1980s that supported the adoption of the Montreal Protocol, and current observations hint at a potential recovery. Adequate determination of that recovery requires continuous and, in the case of multiple instruments, overlapping data records. However, most current satellite systems are well beyond their expected lifetimes, and are large and expensive to build and launch. A new measurement paradigm is needed to enable cost-effective, sustainable measurements of atmospheric ozone into the 2040s when ozone is expected to recover.
The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment IV (SAGE IV) is an example of an innovative mission that can sustain a crucial science measurement at a fraction of the costs of traditional, larger missions. SAGE IV is a solar occultation imager capable of measuring ozone, aerosol, and other trace gas species with the same quality as previous SAGE instruments (including SAGE III currently on International Space Station (ISS)), yet takes advantage of recent technological advancements to reduce its overall size, fitting inside a 6U CubeSat bus. This paper describes the SAGE IV instrument.
