James W. Elkins1

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Aura Validation NOAA Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle
Demonstration (NOAA UAV Demo) in Spring 2005

• James W. Elkins1
• Samuel J. Oltmans1
• and
• David W. Fahey2

1NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics
Laboratory (CMDL), Boulder, Colorado 80305
USA 2NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory (AL), Boulder,
Colorado 80305 USA
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Who Main Participants

• Project Scientists David W. Fahey
  (NOAA/OAR/AL)
• Albin J. Gasiewski
  (NOAA/OAR/ETL)
• Principal Investigators James H.
  Churnside/Ocean Color (NOAA/OAR/ETL)
• James W. Elkins/GC (NOAA/OAR/CMDL)
• Geoffrey S. Dutton, Dale F. Hurst and Fred
  L. Moore
• Todd Jacobs/Skyball (NOAA/NOS)
• Marian Klein/PMVS (NOAA/OAR/ETL)
  
• Samuel J. Oltmans/O3 (NOAA/OAR/CMDL)
• Brian Vasel
• Brad W. Orr/PMVS (NOAA/OAR/ETL)
• Jon D. Sellars/DCS (NOAA/NOS/NGS)
• Project Manager Michael Aslaksen (NOAA/NGS)
  
• Deputy Project Manager Sara Summers
  (NOAA/OAR/FSL)
• NASA Project Manager Chris Jennison
  (NASA/Dryden)
• (OAR) Oceans and Atmospheric Research
• (ETL) Environmental Technology Laboratory
• (AL) Aeronomy Laboratory
• (CMDL) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics
  Laboratory

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What Measurement Parameters
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Where NOAA UAV Demo Flight Area
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When Schedule

• SIL test February 1 thru February 9
• Integration February 27-March 21
• Ground Tests March 22-26
• Test Flights March 27-April 3
• Mission April 4-April 22

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NOAA/CMDL UAV Chromatograph for Atmospheric
Trace Species

• Measures O3 once every 10 seconds
• Measures N2O, SF6, CFC-11, CFC-12, halon-1211
  once
• every 70 seconds
• In the future, could measure PAN, PPN CO, H2,
  CH4
• for tropospheric mission.

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Atmospheric Rivers in the Troposphere

Atmospheric river on 9 Jan 2005
Fatal mudslides and floods on 10 Jan 2005
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Ocean Color - chlorophyll a (Aqua
Validation) Effects of ocean eddies on coastal
productivity
March 2003 Channel Islands California
March 2004 Channel Islands California
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Electro Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Imaging Sensor
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CIRRUS Digital Camera System
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49 hours of Science flights
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Another view Check out flight over the Channel
Islands
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Lessons Learn So Far

• UAVs are very, very expensive.
• UAVs cant fly everywhere.
• UAV integration is a very slow process, lab tests
  first.
• Major UAV composite pieces need to be
  manufactured
• for many applications.
• Flight planning can be more frustrating and
  restricted.
• Poor Dave Fahey, This may truly be his last
  aircraft
• mission.

http//uav.noaa.gov/index.html