The PoSSUM Aeronomy Program provides a practical education for the professional interested in upper-atmospheric research from research aircraft, high-altitude balloons, and suborbital spacecraft. Emphasis is on the study of noctilucent clouds from research aircraft, the design of space instrumentation and on mission specific training for suborbital noctilucent cloud tomography missions. This Program has been co-developed by Project PoSSUM, Integrated Spaceflight Services, Columbia University, GATS, Inc., and Aerospatial Systems.
PoSSUM Aeronomy Courses
What we do
Airborne Remote Sensing of Noctilucent Clouds
Project PoSSUM partners with Aerospatial Systems to conduct airborne imagery and remote sensing of noctilucent cloud structures from High Level, Alberta using a Turbo Mooney research aircraft. Individual sorties are designed to compensate for solar motion and synchronize with the AIM satellite, which observes noctilucent cloud structures from space, and with terrestrial observation sites to facilitate tomographic reconstruction. These images are used to test the low-latitude thresholds of space-based imagery and qualify instrumentation for PoSSUM high-altitude balloon and suborbital spacecraft missions.
High-Altitude Balloon Imaging of Noctilucent Clouds
Project PoSSUM works in partnership with GATS, Columbia University, and Integrated Spaceflight Services to develop and test camera systems designed to fly on a high-altitude, NASA-funded balloon in support of the imagery experiment around the Antarctic polar vortex for two weeks in December 2017. PoSSUM graduates are engaged in the instrument development, testing, and educational outreach efforts in this novel experiment that will study atmospheric dynamics that can only be viewed in exquisite detail through very high resolution imagery techniques.
Suborbital Tomography of Noctilucent Clouds
The PoSSUMCam system will be used to obtain high-resolution imagery of noctilucent cloud microfeatures as suborbital spacecraft pass through the cloud layer, much like an MRI creates 3D representations of the human body. These images will be used to build extremely high-resolution models of the small-scale structures of noctilucent cloud layers through modeling algorithms developed for the program. These structures have been difficult to resolve from previous means of observation from space-based or ground-based imagers but are believed to contain most of the information pertaining to energy and momentum deposition in the upper atmosphere.
PoSSUM Aeronomy Courses
AER 101: Suborbital Space Environment
AER 101 provides an understanding of the general properties and characteristics of the geospace environment and the underlying physical mechanisms. The student will understand the fundamentals of aeronomy, study of the atomospheric environment of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region of the atmosphere. Special emphasis is given to the to environmental hazards most relevant to the operations of manned spacecraft, including particles and radiation, impact phenomena, spacecraft charging, aerodynamic drag, and oxygen corrosion of surfaces.
AER 102: Remote Sensing and Modeling of the Mesosphere
AER 102 provides PoSSUM students a basic proficiency in programming and gain an understanding remote sensing techniques including light detection and ranging (lidar), radar, and computer vision in the context of emerging technologies such as autonomous navigation and terrain modelling as well as a review & extension of Project PoSSUM aeronomy collection & processing efforts.
AER 103: Airborne Remote Sensing of Noctilucent Clouds
AER 103 provides a foundation in flight research. Students will learn how to integrate and test imagery systems to aircraft and then organize operational field campaigns and sorties using PoSSUM research aircraft to study noctilucent clouds in annual field campaigns based from High Level, AB. Students will train for one of two in-flight roles: navigator or instrument operator. Students will also participate in coordinated ground observation campaigns to facilitate tomographic reconstruction of airborne images. Students will learn to operate at high-altitudes (up to 23K’) in unpressurized aircraft. Transportation to High Level is organized from Edmonton, AB.
AER 104: High-Altitude Mesospheric Reserach
AER 104 is a customized program where students work directly with their PoSSUM team members to do high-altitude mesospheric research including aircraft and balloon observations of sprites and noctilucent clouds as well as the suborbital PoSSUM noctilucent clouds tomography missions. Courses are planned on case-by-case basis.
Course Curriculum and Schedule
AER 101: Suborbital Space Environment
Overview
The course provides an overview of the atmospheric and space environment experienced by suborbital spacecraft. It builds an understanding of the Earth’s atmosphere from the troposphere over the stratosphere and mesosphere to the thermosphere and the near-Earth space environment. The course will introduce the relevant aspects of each environment with a focus on dynamics, chemistry, radiation environment and energetic particle environment, and discuss effects on spacecraft where applicable. The course will also discuss measurement techniques for key quantities in the various environments. The course will close with an outlook on space weather and an overview of the atmospheric environment of Mars.
Course Objectives
The course will provide each student with a basic knowledge about the Earth’s atmosphere from the troposphere to the near-Earth space environment. The student with be able to apply basic concepts that describe these environments. The course will introduce the student to simple models of Earth’s atmosphere and allow him or her to apply them to questions concerning the atmospheric environment. It will introduce the student to relevant measurement techniques of atmospheric environments and outline how suborbital measurements contribute to the characterization of these environments. Students will be able to apply this knowledge of environmental effects on spacecraft and measurement design.
Textbooks
- Sagan C., The Demon-haunted World – Science as a Candle in the Dark, Random house, 1996.
- Frederick, J. F., Principles of Atmospheric Science, Jones and Bartlett, 2008.
- Catling, D. C. and Kasting, J. F., Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds, Cambridge, 2017.
- Tascione, T. F., Introduction to the space environment (2nd), Krieger, 2010.
- Fortescue, P., Swinerd, G., Stark, J., Spacecraft Systems Engineering (4th), Wiley, 2011.
- Haberle, R. M., et al., The Atmosphere and Climate of Mars, Cambridge, 2017.
Lectures and Assignments
This is a 3-credit course that consists of ten webinars in two-hour blocks (1.5 hours of lectures plus time for discussion of assignments) and six assignments. Two assignments will consist of self-study tasks to be summarized in write-ups/presentations, four assignments will based on questions and calculations. Students will receive either a Pass or Fail grade.
The course will be run via GoToMeeting. Webinars will be held on Fridays from early February to mid-April and tentatively be scheduled at 4:00-6:00 pm PST/PDT (7:00-9:00 pm EST/EDT).
Schedule:
| Webinar 1 | February 7, 2020 |
| Webinar 2 | February 14, 2020 |
| Webinar 3 | February 21, 2020 |
| Webinar 4 | February 28, 2020 |
| Webinar 5 | March 6, 2020 |
| Webinar 6 | March 13, 2020 |
| Webinar 7 | March 20, 2020 |
| Webinar 8 | March 27, 2020 |
| Webinar 9 | April 3, 2020 |
| Webinar 10 | April 10, 2020 |
Webinar 1
Introduction to the Scientific Method
Introduction to the Earth’s Atmosphere
Atmospheric structure
Concept of scale height
Hydrostatic equation and barometric formula
Webinar 2
Radiative Properties of the Atmosphere – Climate
Black body radiation
Interactions of light with matter
Atmospheric transmission
Atmospheric energy balance and greenhouse effect
Webinar 3
Troposphere (1)
Atmospheric lapse rate
Atmospheric stability and clouds
Forces driving wind
Impact of weather on spacecraft operations
Webinar 4
Troposphere (2)
Tropospheric circulation
Synoptic weather systems and fronts
Numerical weather prediction
Hazardous weather
Webinar 5
Stratosphere
Stratospheric dynamics
Concept of potential temperature and gravity waves
Concept of potential vorticity and planetary waves
Stratospheric ozone chemistry and polar stratospheric clouds
Impact of air traffic on the stratosphere
Webinar 6
Mesosphere
Mesospheric composition and chemistry
Mesospheric temperatures and energy balance
Mesospheric dynamics, gravity waves and tides
Polar mesospheric clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes
Webinar 7
Upper Atmosphere: Thermosphere
Thermospheric energy input
Thermospheric composition and chemistry
Thermospheric structure
Environmental effects on spacecraft
Webinar 8
Upper Atmosphere: Ionosphere
Ionospheric layers
Impact on radio transmissions
Optical effects in the upper atmosphere
Webinar 9
Upper Atmosphere: Exosphere and Near-Earth Space Environment
Movement of charged particles
Earth’s magnetic field
Magnetosphere and Van Allen radiation belts
Solar energetic particles and cosmic rays – space weather
Exobase and atmospheric escape
Environmental effects on spacecraft
Webinar 10
Comparative Planetology: Introduction to Mars’ Atmosphere
Mars’ atmospheric structure and composition
Seasonal and diurnal temperature cycles
Dust and condensates and their radiative effects
Entry, descent and landing of spacecraft on Mars
Instructor: Dr. Armin Kleinboehl, Ph.D.
Schedule: 7 February to 10 April 2020
Location: PoSSUM Virtual Classroom
Cost: $625 (Open University)
Credits: 2 (IIAS Continuing Education)
AER 102: Remote Sensing and Modeling of the Mesosphere
Details coming soon
AER 103: Airborne Remote Sensing of Noctilucent Clouds
AER 103 provides a foundation in flight research as applied to the imagery of noctilucent cloud structures synchronized with ground and satellite observations.
Each program provides an immersive educational experience covering the following topics:
- Integration and testing of imagery systems to research aircraft
- Planning of operational field campaigns and sortie.
- In-flight operations to image noctilucent cloud structures
- High-altitide flight operations to FL230 in unpressurized aircraft
- Coordination of Satellite and Ground observations
- Image processing and data analysis
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Mission Plan:
Sorties will be planned daily and waypoints, altitudes, and engine settings will be calculated based on AIM satellite ephemeris data, the solar position, and winds aloft. Missions will be flown when noctilucent cloud presence is verified through visual observation or through LiDAR detection.
Each mission will have: 1) pilot in command, 2) navigator, and 3) instrument technician and operator. Ground crew will consist of 1) mission flight director, 2) remote site camera operator, and 3) deputy remote site camera operator.
Missions flown synchronous with solar motion will be flown at FL180 for a duration of 90 minutes at altitude. Missions flown to intercept the AIM satellite will be flown at FL230 for a duration of 45 minutes.
Each student will have the opportunity to participate in a flight as well as a ground observation mission. Transportation to and from Edmonton, AB will be provided.
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Costs and Prerequisites:
Instructor: Dr. Jason Reimuller, Ph.D.
Location: High Level, Alberta
Cost: $2800 includes transportation and lodging (graduation from PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Program or Advanced PoSSUM Academy required)