NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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Experiment Overview


Brief Summary

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III-ISS (SAGE III-ISS) investigation observes the vertical profile of Earth's atmosphere by measuring the extent of our protective ozone layer, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels, water vapor and aerosols in the atmosphere. Atmospheric occultation measurements (i.e., measuring light transmitted through the atmosphere) are performed as the Sun or Moon is rising or setting. By measuring the composition of the middle and lower atmosphere from the unique vantage point of the International Space Station (ISS), researchers can monitor and help to better understand and quantify the long-term changes and our impact on Earth.

Principal Investigator(s)

Joseph M. Zawodny, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, United States

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Information Pending

Developer(s)

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO, United States
European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, , Netherlands
Thales Alenia Space, Genoa, , Italy

Sponsoring Space Agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Sponsoring Organization

Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD)

Research Benefits

Information Pending

ISS Expedition Duration

September 2014 - March 2015

Expeditions Assigned

41/42

Previous ISS Missions

The Stratopsheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III) is a fourth-generation satellite instrument designed to observe the long-term health of the upper atmosphere. Managed by NASA Langley Research Center, SAGE III was a collaboration between NASA and the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (RASA) launched aboard a Russian Meteor 3M spacecraft in December 2001 for a three-year mission. This investigation invigorated and extended a long-term working relationship between the United States and Russia towards a greater understanding of Earth.

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Experiment Description

Research Overview

• The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III - ISS (SAGE III-ISS) is among the early NASA investigations and payloads sent to the ISS on the SpaceX Falcon-9/Dragon commercial launch vehicle.



• SAGE III-ISS is transferred from the Dragon Trunk attached to a Passive Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM) Adapter Plate 3 (PFAP 3), and installed to the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier4 (ELC 4) site via the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSMS). The SAGE III-ISS investigation is then mounted on a preinstalled Nadir Viewing Platform (NVP) that provides the required interface and structure. This move requires the use of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) and temporary stowage on the SPDM's Enhanced ORU Temporary Platform (EOTP) FRAM Site.



• SAGE III-ISS is the first instrument to measure the composition of the middle and lower atmosphere from the ISS. The orbit of the ISS provides a perfect vantage point from which to acquire measurements of this region of the atmosphere.



• The SAGE program, in all, has a long heritage and is one of NASA's longest running Earth-observing programs. Scientifically this is significant because, continuous, long-term collection of this variety of data and information is necessary in order to understand climate change.

Description

SAGE III's role is to provide global, long-term measurements of key components of the Earth's atmosphere. The most important of these are the vertical distribution of aerosols and ozone from the upper troposphere through the stratosphere. In addition, SAGE III also provides unique measurements of temperature in the stratosphere and mesosphere and profiles of trace gases such as water vapor and nitrogen dioxide that play significant roles in atmospheric radiative and chemical processes.

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Applications

Space Applications

External observation systems and sensors such as those included with the SAGE III-ISS investigation have the potential to provide future designers and engineers with important information regarding component longevity for systems operated in the external space environment.

Earth Applications

Human activities are changing the Earth and its atmosphere. Long-term records show a rise in the global average temperature over the past few decades. Other observations reveal changes in the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere such as thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer and increases in the concentration of greenhouse gases. Scientists do not fully understand how these changes affect the climate. Therefore, highly accurate, long-term measurements are essential for gaining a better understanding of the processes that control climate change.

The goal of SAGE III-ISS is to measure high-resolution vertical profiles of key components of the upper atmosphere—the most important being ozone, aerosols, (suspended particles) and water vapor. These measurements enhance our understanding of climate and how human activities influence it. This information enables national and international leaders to make informed policy decisions on climate change.

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Operations

Operational Requirements

• The SPOC shall interface with the POIC, SCF, and Thales Alenia Space-Italia. 

• The SPOC shall generate, send, and validate any command documented within the SAGE III Instrument Payload Command and Telemetry Document. 

• The SPOC shall receive, process, monitor and trend the Health and Status of the instrument. 

• The SPOC shall receive Science data, pass the data to the SCF, monitor and report on science events.

• The SPOC shall calculate science event opportunities.

• The SPOC shall modify the IP software as required.

Operational Protocols

• The SAGE III/ISS investigation launches installed on the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier - 3 (ELC3).

• ELC-4 is installed to the ELC4 site (ISS starboard nadir) via the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSMS).

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Results/More Information

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Related Websites

Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III - International Space Station

SAGE

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Imagery

SAGE III-ISS Instrument Pallet Overview.

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SAGE III-ISS external location at ELC-4 on ISS.

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