Equipped with a precision spectroradiometer, the air-LUSI instrument recorded moonlight at multiple wavelengths and phases. By studying the Sun's reflected light from the Moon's surface, researchers are calibrating Earth-observing satellites with unprecedented accuracy.
"As an absolute reference, the Moon also becomes the perfect benchmark for satellites to consistently and accurately measure processes on Earth," said Kevin Turpie, air-LUSI principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. With the Moon's consistent brightness, it serves as a standard for aligning satellite sensors that track changes in Earth's weather, ecosystems, and oceans.
The ER-2 aircraft, flying near 70,000 feet, offered a vantage point above 95% of Earth's atmosphere. At these altitudes, the clarity of the stratosphere ensures measurements are minimally distorted by atmospheric interference, providing data of remarkable purity.
"To date, air-LUSI measurements of the Moon are the most accurate ever made," said Kelsey Bisson, NASA program scientist supporting the project. "Air-LUSI data can advance our ability to understand the Earth and our weather, and they provide a new way to calibrate satellites that can result in cost savings."
By delivering high-fidelity calibration, air-LUSI reduces the need for costly onboard reference devices on satellites. This not only improves data quality but offers the potential to lower mission expenses.
The project is a joint effort by NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and McMaster University in Canada.
McMaster University developed critical hardware for the campaign, including the Autonomous Robotic Telescope Mount Instrument System and the High-Altitude Aircraft Mounted Robotic (HAAMR) telescope mount. These systems allowed precise tracking of the Moon during flight and debuted aboard the ER-2 during the March campaign.
"The collective effort of the American and Canadian team members offers an opportunity for truly exciting engineering and science collaboration," said Andrew Gadsden, associate professor at McMaster and a co-investigator on the project.
The successful integration and operation of the HAAMR system mark a new era in airborne lunar observation. "Highest accuracy measurements" of lunar light, as described by co-investigator John Woodward IV, are now fueling better Earth observation systems.
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