In Situ Trace Gas Measurements from the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Altair

It is anticipated that Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) will soon become an integral part of the effort to monitor global atmospheric composition because they provide a unique combination of payload capacity, altitude range, and especially endurance. The NOAA UAS Demonstration Project in 2005 was designed to test the flight endurance of the Altair UAS (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.) and its suitability as an airborne platform for atmospheric measurements. Instrumentation included an ozone photometer (OZ), a 2- channel gas chromatograph (GC), an ocean color sensor, and a passive microwave vertical sounder. Altair was interactively controlled by a ground-based pilot via line-of-sight or satellite-based communications which also allowed instrument data and commands to be telemetered between the aircraft and ground. The NOAA project demonstrated that Altair was able to fly continuously for at least 18 hours and reach an altitude of 14 km with an internal payload >300 kg. The GC obtained ~2500 in situ measurements each of CFC-11, CFC-12, Halon-1211, N2O, and SF6 during 65 flight hours (10 flights) of Altair. These gases and ozone were measured at 250 m vertical resolution during two ~7 km deep spiral dive/climb maneuvers performed over the Pacific Ocean as part of the 18.4 long-endurance flight. During a different flight, GC and OZ sampled a tongue of stratospheric air that had intruded into the upper troposphere through a tropopause fold. In September 2006, GC and OZ were operated aboard Altair as part of the NASA/USDA-Forest Service Fire Mission. One GC channel (CFCs and Halon-1211) was changed to instead measure H2, CH4, and CO every 140 s, and the combined GC and OZ instrument package was expanded to include in situ measurements of water vapor (laser hygrometer) along with temperature and relative humidity (external probe). Data obtained during these two missions of the UAS Altair, including comparisons of relative humidity and water vapor measurements, will be presented and interpreted.