An Overview of the SABER Experiment for the TIMED Mission

Abstract

The Sounding of the Atmosphere Using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) experiment has been selected for flight on the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission expected to fly in the latter part of this decade. The primary science goal of SABER is to achieve fundamental and important advances in understanding of the energetics, chemistry, and dynamics, in the atmospheric region extending from 60 km to 180 km altitude, which has not been comprehensively observed on a global basis. This will be accomplished using the space flight proven experiment approach of broad spectral band limb emission radiometry. SABER will scan the horizon in 12 selected bands ranging from 1.27μm to 17μm wavelength. The observed vertical horizon emission profiles will be mathematically inverted in ground data processing to provide vertical profiles with 2 km vertical resolution, of temperature, O3, H2O, NO, NO2, CO, and CO2. SABER will also observe key emissions needed for energetics studies at 1.27μm [O2(1Δ)], 2μm [OH(υ=7,8,9)], 1.6μm [OH(υ=3,4,5)], 4.3μm [CO2(ν3)], 5.3μm (NO), 9.6 μm (O3), and 15 μm [CO2(ν2)]. These measurements will be used to infer atomic hydrogen and atomic oxygen, the latter inferred three different ways using only SABER observations. Measurements will be made both night and day over the latitude range from the southern to northern polar regions.