EOS Validation Program

Institution: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
                    Wallops Flight Facility
                    Code 614.6
                    Wallops Island, VA 23337
Phone: (757) 824-1618
FAX: (757) 824-1618
E-mail: fjs@osb.wff.nasa.gov

March 2003
April 2004

The objective of this work is to provide the AIRS instrument with in situ validation measurements of temperature, water vapor, and ozone. We will schedule dedicated radiosondes with special sensors to coincide within a few minutes of AIRS ephemerides and within 2 degrees latitude radially about the balloon release point. As resources and personnel availability permits, 2-3 ATM radiosondes, 2-3 chilled mirror dew point hygrometers, and 2-3 Electrochemical Concentration Cell (ECC) ozone instruments will be released per week for one month of each season. Balloon burst altitude is anticipated to be 32 km and higher. Total-column ozone will be available from the Wallops Island Dobson Spectrophotometer and other photometers. One ECC ozonesonde will be released weekly from Ascension Island and Natal, Brazil. The latter as part of the NASA/INPE Agreement. Additionally, and subject to funds availability it is expected that, following the same schedule as Wallops Island, one chilled mirror hygrometer can be released from Natal. Data processing will take place at Wallops Island by the Upper Air Instrumentation Research Project (UAIRP) personnel with data archiving at Wallops and the Goddard Space Flight Center DAAC, or elsewhere, as desired by the AIRS Science Team Membership.