Overview of the HIRAAS experiment

The HIRAAS experiment includes three ultraviolet spectrographs for global remote sensing of the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere.  During the ARGOS mission  each HIRAAS sensor will accumulate 900 spectral limb scans per day totaling 200 MB of airglow observations.  The volume, quality, and global coverage of these data are unprecedented.   These data will be used in advanced remote sensing developed at NRL for interpreting airglow signatures to reveal the structure, composition, chemistry, and energy balance of the coupled thermosphere-ionosphere system. 

Instrumentation

High-performance UV spectrographs designed by NRL for the ARGOS mission.

Observational modes

A scan platform and scan mirror, programmable scan modes, selectable passbands, and command capability provide observational flexibility.

InfoBase 

A relational database, a RAID storage system, automated ingestion of telemetry data, and customized database access in IDL provide data management and distribution capability.

Scientific interpretation