Are Unmanned Aerial Systems in the Future for Polar Ozone Studies?

Ozone loss studies in the polar stratosphere have benefited from the combination of ozone and other trace gas measurements (nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, etc.) to account for transport of ozone from other regions of the atmosphere. Trace gases versus ozone correlations and transport calculations have permitted the calculation of ozone loss on airborne missions during the polar stratospheric winter. NOAA/CMDL has successfully operated a combined ozone analyzer and gas chromatograph during the first phase of the NOAA UAS demonstration using the NASA Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Altair (a civilian version of the military Predator B UAS). UAS, like Altair and Global Hawk, are ideal for polar studies because of their long range (7200+ km), long duration (30+ hours), and high altitude (>14 km) flying capabilities. They offer advantages over manned aircraft, most importantly safety of pilots where few airports exist and flights must be of long duration to reach the polar vortex. There are major obstacles in using UAS over Polar Regions including satellite coverage, and UAS access to civilian air space. A government/industry group, ACCESS-5 (means ACCESS to the national airspace in 5 years), is planning a mission to Hawaii to test procedures for flying in the national airspace which could be as early as May 2006. NOAA and other agencies are investigating the possibility of flying a UAS during the International Polar Year (2007-2008). Observational data will be presented from the NOAA UAS demo.