We propose to coordinate the synchronized observations of Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMC) and aurora between the International Space Station (ISS), ground sites, and satellites. We also propose to coordinate observations from other International Polar Year (IPY) activities that might benefit from ISS observations. The orbit of the ISS takes it to north and south latitudes of 51.6 degrees at altitudes of 400 km. This provides a human operated platform from which to observe artic and Antarctic phenomena on a length scale of half a continent. This compliments ground site observations and satellite data that can be synchronized in both space and time to record seasonal variations. Observations from the ISS offers an above the cloud vantage including wide angle oblique views, sun-glint textures, day-night terminator lighting, and perhaps most important, human guided observations that can fall outside the purview of pre-programmed field of view instrumentation. The ISS offers a unique platform for Antarctic atmospheric observations since it gives repeated coverage circumscribing the continent every few days where cloud cover the general lack of observation sites limits routine ground observations over long periods of time. We propose to use the current observational equipment on ISS including a suite of digital still cameras, standard video cameras, and a medium resolution, fiber optic coupled visible region spectrograph. We are planning the fabrication for use on ISS of an IMAX-sized format, CCD camera optimised for low light level video if funding permits. With the NASA presidential directive for human exploration beyond Earth orbit, NASA is considering astronaut training in polar regions as analogues for human planetary missions. We propose to coordinate these polar analogue activities with ISS observations. Participation in this proposal will be open to all international partners to ISS as well as any other project that wishes to coordinate observations with ISS. All ISS collected data will be archived and publicly distributed using current NASA infrastructure. This activity offers great potential for educational outreach by linking human exploration from Earth polar extremes to Earth orbital extremes to Lunar and Martian extremes. The outreach will use current NASA educational infrastructure. Background This proposal resulted from prior collaborations when the Lead Contact was a crewmember and Science Officer on Expedition 6 to ISS. During this expedition, synchronized aurora observations were made between ISS and ground observers in Finland. Observations of Antarctic PMC were routinely made and subsequently correlated with SNOE satellite data with collaborators from University of Colorado and University of Alaska. These efforts proved the utility of making synchronized observations between ISS, ground, and satellite and resulted in this proposal. This proposal has been submitted with the approval of Dr. Jim Garvin, NASA Chief Scientist, in the NASA Washington DC office. D. R. Pettit, D. W. Rusch, G. E. Thomas, A. Merkel, S. Bailey, J. M. Russell III, M. DeLand, “Near-simultaneous Observations of Polar Mesospheric Clouds from the International Space Station and from Orbiting Optical Instruments”, AGU poster, Nov. 2004. Summary provided by http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=78
OBSERVATIONS OF PMCS AND AURORA
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