The SABER Instrument Aboard the TIMED Satellite

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The SABER Instrument Aboard the TIMED Satellite

• Hampton UniversityInterdisciplinary Sciences
  CenterDianne Q. Robinson, Barbara H. Maggi,
  Aileen M. Seshun, and Sherrye Pollard March 2003

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Hampton Universitys SABER Education Public
Outreach

• Principal Investigator James M. Russell, III,
  Ph.D.
• Outreach Director Dianne Q. Robinson, Ph.D.
• Assistant Outreach Director Barbara H. Maggi
• Education Coordinator Aileen M. Seshun
• Teacher Advisor Sherrye Pollard
• Teacher Advisor Karen Steele

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Acronyms Defined
SABERSounding of the Atmosphere UsingBroadband
Emission Radiometry
TIMED ThermosphereIonosphereMesophere
Energetics Dynamics
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TIMED Mission

• Sun-synchronous (polar orbiting) satellite
  located approximately 388 miles (625 km) above
  Earth. Orbit cycle is approximately 1.7 hours /
  14 orbits a day.
• Focus on least understood portion of the Earths
  atmospheric region (MLTI) extending from 40-110
  miles (60 km to 180 km) above the Earth.
• Collected data is being used to predict weather
  global warming.
• Mission duration anticipated to be two years.

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SABER Mission

• Produce a global picture of how the MLTI region
  changes over time.
• Analyze take measurements of processes
  governing the energetics, chemistry, dynamics,
  transport of the MLTI region where the energy
  chemistry are unique from other atmospheric
  regions
• Retrieve global day / night vertical profile
  measurements of atmospheric temperature, density,
  pressure.
• There are fewer molecules in the MLTI,
  affecting how the atmosphere radiates
  absorbs heat. This includes fewer aerosols.

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Two Points to Clarify
TIMED is the satellite which will study the
variability of the Mesosphere Lower
Thermosphere/Ionosphere region (MLTI).

• SABER is one of the four instruments on board
  the TIMED spacecraft.

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Artists Concept of TIMED
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SABER as a Remote Sensor

• SABER is a passive remote sensor, because it
  observes the atmosphere like a camera without a
  flash. (In contrast, an active remote sensor
  would be like a camera that has to illuminate its
  subject with a flash in order to take a picture.)
  
• SABER will observe atmospheric infrared
  backscatter. (Backscatter is the scattering of
  light off of particles in the backward direction.)

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SABER as a Remote Sensor (continued)

• Solar radiation will illuminate the atmosphere
  from behind the spacecraft, like a flashlight,
  stimulating the atmosphere to emit infrared
  radiation.
• SABER will observe the infrared radiation using
  an instrument called a multispectral
  radiometer.
• A moving optical instrument allows SABER to
  observe a variety of altitudes in the region of
  study.

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Views of SABER Instrument
http//saber.larc.nasa.gov/
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SABER Background

• Built by Utah State University Space Dynamics
  Laboratory is managed by NASA Langley Research
  Center.
• Launched on December 7, 2001 from Vandenberg Air
  Force Base
• Is a multi-channel radiometer measuring infrared
  energy emitted by the atmosphere over a broad
  altitude spectral range.

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Upper Atmospheres Radiation Budget
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• Types of Measurements
• Energy balance between Earths incoming
  outgoing energy in Earths upper atmosphere
• Infrared radiation emitted by the upper
  atmosphere
• Strength of heat by ultraviolet radiation from
  the Sun (airglow)

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Airglow from Earths Limb
When sunlight comes into contact with chemically
active molecules, the atmosphere emits energy
through photochemical processes known as airglow.
Red high airglow emission / Blue low airglow
emission. (http//oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS.SABER.htm
l)
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TIMED Watches Earth's Response to Strong Solar
Storms in April 2002
High values (yellow red)
Low values (green blue)
Photo Credits Attributed to NASA / Hampton
University(http//www.timed.jhuapl.edu/TIMED_Data
/saber_data.html March 2002)
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Atmospheric Structure Dynamics

• SABERs observations will
• Provide new informationabout how
  temperature,density, pressure changewith
  altitude.
• Track the movement of airbetween the poles,
  fromlower to upper atmosphericregions, from
  season to season around the globe.

Chart by R. Bradley PierceNASA LaRC
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Key Gases in the Upper Atmosphere

• Gases that warm cool the MLTI region through
  absorption of solar radiation emission of
  infrared radiation (heat energy)
• SABER measures the vertical distribution of these
  gases

• Parameter
• CO2
• O3
• O2 (?)
• CO2
• OH(V)
• NO
• H2O

• Wavelength (?m)
• 14.9 15.2
• 9.6
• 1.27
• 4.3
• 2.0 1.6
• 5.3
• 6.9

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Key Gases (continued)
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• SABER will make the first-ever measurements of
  the global distribution of carbon dioxide
  concentrations in the MLTI region.
• SABER will also provide the first measurements of
  ozone during the day at night in the MLTI
  region.

First
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SABER E/PO Deliverables(Education Public
Outreach)

• SABER Educational Web Site
• Will be developed by Hampton University linked
  to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
  Laboratory TIMED web site
• Will contain scientific information teacher
  activities
• NASA Connect (grades 5 - 8)
• Will work with NASA Langley to develop a program
  incorporating the TIMED mission including a
  segment on the SABER instrument

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SABER E/PO Deliverables(continued)

• SABER Teacher Training
• Conduct workshops on SABER instrument TIMED
  mission
• SABER Conference Presentations
• Conduct presentations to inform the general
  public, educators, students

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Benefits to Educational Institutions

• Association with NASA, Hampton University, Johns
  Hopkins University
• Technology involvement in Real Time / Real Life
  dissemination/explanation of actual scientific
  research
• Professional Development for teachers
• Publish lesson plans activities on the SABER
  website
• Building of interest enthusiasm for students to
  study science, math, technology
• Exposure of students to new careers in science,
  math, technology

Schools, universities educators, students
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The TIMED Education Website
http//www.timed.jhuapl.edu/education2/new_index.h
tml
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SABERSchematic TIMEDTeachers Lesson Plan

• Objectives
• Work with ratio, proportion, scale drawing,
  coordinate graphing
• Locate objects on a coordinate grid
• Enlarge a picture of SABER using coordinates

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Classroom Activities
High School Activity - 'Exothermic Endothermic
Chemical Reactions of Hot Cold Materials
(developed at Perquimans County High School,
Hertford, NC) Are you looking for a new way to
teach your students about remote sensing? Our
website will show you how to use a cola can to
build a remote sensing tool that demonstrates the
science behind the SABER instrument riding on the
TIMED satellite.

• Middle School Activity - 'How SABER 'Sees' the
  Earth' (developed at W.E. Waters Middle School,
  Portsmouth, VA)See how a hula-hoop can simulate
  TIMED's sun-synchronous orbit as it revolves
  around the Earth as Earth orbits around the sun.
  At the same time, learn how the instrument looks
  NOT at the Earth itself, but through the
  atmospheric limb, how this provides several
  unique, first-time measurements.

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Celebrate What Youve Learned

• Remember when I described the difference between
  TIMED SABER? Who can tell us what that
  difference is?
• SABER looks at the Earths ____________ _______.
• Name at least one of the s for SABER.
• Who can mention one other interesting fact about
  this instrument?

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