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National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington. D C. 20546
AC 202 755-8370

For Release IMMEDIATE

Press Kit Project Stratospheric Aerosol

and Gas Experiment
(SAGE)
RELEASE NO: 79-6

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January 18, 1979
 RELEASE NO: 79-6

CONTENTS

GENERAL RELEASE .............................. 1-6

BACKGROUND ................................... 7

ROLE OF NIMBUS-7 EXPERIMENT .................. 8

GROUND TRUTH MEASUREHENTS..................... 8

DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING ............... 9

MISSION DESCRIPTION .......................... 9-10

SAGE INSTRUMENTATION ......................... 11-14

THE SPACECRAFT ............................... 15-17

LAUNCH SEQUENCE .............................. 18

SAGE EXPERIMENT TEAM MEMBERSHIP .............. 19

e--
 NAA
National Aeronautics and
New
Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546
AC 202 755-8370

Dick McCormack Fo~r Releasse

Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
IMMEDIATE
(Phone: 202/755-2070)

John Kley
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,,
Md.
(Phone: 301/344-8955)

Keith Koehler
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
(Phone: 804/827-2934)

RELEASE NO: 79-6

SAGE TO EXAMINE EARTH'S STRATOSPHERE

A 14 7-kilogram (324-pound) spacecrz.ft will be launched

by NASA Thursday, Jan. 25 to obtain data on the aerosols and
ozone in the stratosphere. Called SAGE, for Stratospheric
Aerosol and Gas Experiment, the applications
satellite will
be lifted into orbit from Wallops Flight
Center, Wallops
Island, Va., by a four-stage Scout launch
vehicle.

The SAGE mission is international in scope,

as its findings
will be checked against extensive "ground
truth" measurements
conducted by special teams in the U.S.,
Japan and Europe.

-more- January 18, 1979

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 2
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Worldwide concern has
developed in recent years
over
the environmental quality
Of the stratosphere, that
region
of the Earth's atmosphere
beginning above cloud
tops at about
12 kilometers (8 miles)
and extending to approximately
50 km
(30 mi.). The stratosphere is a
very fragile and important
portion of the Earth's
environment; its ozone,
for example,
is known to protect the
Earth and its inhabitants
from much
of the Sun's ultraviolet
(UV) radiation.

The stratosphere also

contains a layer of dust-like
particles, or aerosols,
that are concentrated
below the ozone
peak. Aerosols, small
solid particles or liquid
droplets sus-
pended in the surrounding
air, are typically less
than one
millionth of a meter in
diameter.

The aerosol layer acts

somewhat like a filter
by reducing
the amount of sunlight
that reaches the Earth's
surface and
the amount of reflected
sunlight that eventually
escapes to
space. Small changes
in aerosol concentration
may cause
changes in climate with
important implications
for agriculture.

Concerns have developed

that man's industrial
and
technological activities
on and above the Earth
may lead to
aerosol and gas buildup
in the stratosphere, causing
unknown
and possibly adverse affects
to life on the Earth's
surface.
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 A tz...
...

A.)
-

Pesides man-made injections directly into the

ptra-
tosphere, aerosols and gases are generated in
the tro-
posphere (starting at the Earth's surface
and extending
to the stratosphere) by processes that are on.y
partly
understood,

The main objective of SAGE is to

obtain and use
global data on stratospheric aerosols
and qzone in
various studies concerning the Earth's climate
and en-
vironmental quality. The mission is designed
to obtain
this data from tropical to high latitudes
for a period of
at least one year.

Comparable aerosol data for the polar regioni

is being
E obtained by a Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement
(SAM-II)
experiment on the Nimbus-7 satellite, launched
Oct. 24, 1978
The information will complement the SAGE data
base.

The SAGE experiment aboard the Applications Explorer

Mission-B (AEM-B) spapecraft will obtain its
information
by means of a photometric device. Flying at a 600-km
(370-mi.) altitude in a circular Earth orbit,

t'he SAGE photometer "looks" at the Sun through

the
stratosphere's gases and aerosols each time
the satel-
lite enters and leaves the Earth's shadow.

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I The device will "see" approximately 15 sunrises

and 15 .sunsets each 24-hour day. The photometer
records,
in four color bands, the light as
it fades in a sunset
and brightens in a sunrise. This information
is con-
verted to define concentrations of the atmospheric
con-
stituents, namely ozone and aerosols. The
four different
SAGE color bands are centered at 1.0, 0.60,
0.45, and
0.38 micrometers from the near
infrared (IR) .o blue
bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.

According to the SAGE experiment scientist,

Dr.
M. Patrick McCormick of NASA's Langley Research
'enter,
Hampton, Va., the satellite's ozone
measurements, when
combined with other measurements, will help
confirm
or negate the predicted chlorofluormethane
(CF1M1) effect
on ozone depletion. Current models or theories
predict
that, if the CFM releases into the atmosphere
were to
continue at the 1975 rate, 8 to 30
per cent of the glo-
bal ozone would eventually be destroyed with
the greatest
relative reduction occurring between 35 to
45 km
(22 to 28 mi.). This region will be measured with
1 km (0.6 Mi.) vertical resolution and high
accuracy by
SAGE.

more-

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 -5-

The aerosol populatioan in the stratosphere, on the

other~hand, is changed.abruptly by large.volcanic erup-

tions which spew particlew,.apd gases into.this.region

creating optical e~fecj.s (e.g.., -prolonge i andjolorful
sunsets) - ;n4dpossible cooling at the Earzth's *surface.

Since trends in environmental quality or 'climat¢:are

usually masked by daily and seasonal variations, it

takes a very long period Ef time to delineate them,

says McCormick. Thus, a vo.canic eruption during

SAGE's meastrement lifetime, would provide a'unique

opportunity for sqjentipts to study the long-term
distribution throughout the stratosphere of high-vqlume
aerosols and other gases from a single point source.

The NASA Headquarters Environmental Observations

Program has overall responsibility for the AEM/SAGE
program. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
M~i., is responsible for project management of the spage-
£raFt, scientific planning and coordination, and the
tracking And data acquisition system, NASA Langley is

responsible for the instrument module systems and the

Scout launch vehicle. The NASA Wallops Flight Center
at WalJops Island is responpiblp for the launching and

snpport. aiunhig

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. . .
 -6-

Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, a division of the

Boeing Co., built the spacecraft. Ball Aerospace Division,

Ball Corp., Boulder, Colo., built the SAGE radiometer

under contracts administered by GSFC and LARC. Vought

Corp., Dallas, a subsidiary of LTV Corp., built the

Scout launch vehicle.

);

(ENID OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)

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 BACKGROUND

Aerosols and ozone play an important role in the radia-

tion balance of the Earth's environment on a global scale.
There is serious concern that industrial and aviation activi-
ties may lead to aerosol and gas entrapment and buildup in
the stratosphere where constituents have residence times of
three to five years.
In addition to natural or anthropogenic injections, aero-
sols and gases are generated by the atmosphere's chemistry
through processes that are only partly understood. These, as
well as unknown factors, determine not only the stratosphere's
aerosol and gaseous content but also its changeable character.
How much radiation the pollutants absorb, for example, is un-
known because of ignorance about the optical properties of the
aerosols themselves and their global distribution.
The concentration and distribution of ozone and, there-
fore, the ultraviolet radiation that reaches the Earth's sur-
face must be better understood. Scientists know that: aerosols
and lower stratospheric ozone act as tracers for circulation
and transport phenomena; certain gases act as precursors for
many of the aerosols; and the presence of aerosols may change
the radiation fluxes in the ozone layer significantly. Very
little is known, however, about the stratospheric aerosol or
its optical properties. If one is going to determine the im-
pact of new additions to the stratosphere, one must determine
on a global basis: (1) the natural background or ambient con-
stituents; (2) the aerosol and gaseous sinks; and (3) the
aerosol and gaseous sources, both natural and anthropogenic
(related to the activities of mankind).

Concern over the environmental quality of the stratos-

phere has been displayed recently by a sizable portion of the
scientific community. New multi-million dollar international
programs to study the stratosphere (e.g., the Department of
Transportation's Climatic Impact Assessment Prvgram) have
emerged.
An evolution of new measurements is taking place concern-
ing stratospheric gases, photo-chemical and chemical rate co-
efficients, ozone and submicron particulates. Many of these
new measurements are being accomplished through the use of
cumbersome laboratory equipment with stratospheric platforms 1
provided by balloons and high-flying aircraft. Such measure-
ments are not done quickly enough for many purposes not on a
global basis. Both aspects are considered necessary for
accurate monitoring. As a result, it is expected that moni-
toring will need to be done from space through remote-sensing
techniques.
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 f-9-

IA
DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING

The SAGE sensor will

measure the attentuation
solar intensity by the limb of the
separate wavelength bands of Earth's atmosphere in four
during each spacecraft sunrise
and sunset. With proper correction
tion effects, using measured for atmospheric refrac-
perature profiles, and solar or standard atmospheric tem-
from each spacecraft sunrise limb darkening effects, data
and sunset will be bonverted
to an intensity versus atmosphere
tangent altitude profile.
Data from the SAGE instrument
the satellite and transmitted will'bed stored on-board
to a
day or more frequently, depending ground station once per
duration of events. Data upon stdrage capacity and
at least 12 months. Data will be gathered for'a period of
bility of the Goddard Space collection will be the responsi-
torate. SAGE raw data, along Flight Center Networks Direc-
chronized to a common' time with orbital parameters syn-
base,
experiment scientist at Langley will be provided to the
Research Center.
The Goddard processed data
at Langley utilizing computer will'be reduced and analyzed
and operational on Langley programs developed at Langley
converted first to measures computers. The raw data will be
of physical quantities and
sequently presented in a manner sub-
understanding of the physical to permit the most rapid
processes being studied.
A SAGE Experiment Team (SET)
be involved in developing has been created and will
the
that the resulting data products data analysis techniques so
a step toward truly operational and software will represent
methods.
Data from the SAGE instrument
NASA National Space Science will be forwarded to the
for archiving and distributionData Center (NSSDC) at Goddard
scientific community on request. to other agencies and the

MISSION DESCRIPTION

The Earth-orbital SAGE mission

files in the stratosphere is to map vertical pro-
and molecular extinction inof ozone, aerosol, nitrogen dioxide
The ozone data will extend a wide band around the globe.
from about 9 to 46 kilometers
(6 to 29 miles); aerosol data
(22 mi.); nitrogen dioxide from the cloud tops to 35
data km
to 25 mi.); and molecular from about 25 to 40 km (16
extinction from about 15
(9 to 25 mi.). to 40 km

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.. . . .
...........
 - *o

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SAGE will lock on to the Sun as the spacecraft exper-

ience3 a sunrise or sunset and measure the Sun's brightness
at four wavelengths. This information is interpreted in
terms of vertical profiles of the atmospheric constituent
that attenuated or dimmed the sunlight. Thirty profiles per
day will be obtained in this manner spread over latitude and
longitude. Over a year, 10,000 profiles will be measured
from 78 degrees south to 78 degrees north latitude.
The main objective of SAGE is to obtain measurements of
global, spatial and temporal distributions of stratospheric
aerosols and ozone, and to use these to study their effects
on the Earth's radiation budget and environmental quality.

From SAGE data and ground truth information, researchers

expect to conduct the following investigations:

* Map vertical extinction profiles of stratospheric

aerosols and ozone globally from 78 degrees south
to 78 degrees north latitude.
* Determine global concentrations of aerosols and
ozone and their spatial distribution.
o Determine the optical properties of stratospheric
aerosols.
* Investigate transient phenomena.
* Determine hemispherical differences.
* Investigate transport phenomena.
* Investigate the tropospheric-stratospheric exchange.
* Determine the radiation effects of stratospheric
aerosol and ozone on the global climate and avail-
able solar energy.

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_ _ _ _ _ _ .,
KX
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-

SAGE INSTRUMENTATION

The SAGE sensor is a four-spectral channel

which measures the extinction of solar radiation radiometer
s occultation. As the spacecraft emerges from during solar
shadow during each orbit, the sensor the Earth's
will acquire the Sun
and measure solar intensity in four wavelength
bands centered
at 0.385 micrometers (um), 0.45 um, 0.6 um
and 1.0 um.
As the spacecraft continues
from the spacecraft to the rising in orbit, the line of sight
A
Sun will scan the Earth's
atmosphere, resulting in a measurement
solar intensity at different atmosphericof the attenuated
procedure will then be repeated in layers. The
spacecraft sunset. a reverse sense during

Each sunrise and sunset will

the clouds to approximately 60 km be monitered from the top of
(37 mi.) above the Earth's
surface. The sensor has an instantaneous
approximately 0.5-arc minutes, which field of view of
corresponds
0.5 km (0.3 mi.) measured at the horizon to approximately
orbit. for a GOO km (372 mi.)

The dynamic range of each radiometric

horizon is approximately 3,000 and measurement at the
radiometric measurement is specifiedthe uncertainty in any
to be less than 0.1 per
cent of the unattenuated solar intensity.
partly self-calibrating in that a The sensor is
measurement of the
unattenuated solar intensity is made
sunset or after each spacecraft before each spacecraft
sunrise.

The instrument module consists of optical

subassemblies mounted side by and electronic
side. The optical assembly
consists of a flat scanning mirror,
a detector package. Cassegrain optics and

The solar input is reflected

from
the Cassegrain telescope, which produce the scan mirror through
#i
a solar image upon
the science detector aperture. The radiation
aperture is dispersed by a holographic through the
to four silicon
diode detectors. The outputs of the detectors are fed photo
signal conditioning amplifiers. to
Their outputs go to the
PCM encoder, which multiplexes and digitizes
and then transfers data to the AEM-B data the signals
system.

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F-4
 -12-

Instrument module characteristics follow:

Detector wavelength 0.385, 0.45, 0.6, 1.0 microns

Field of view 0.15 milliradians (0.5 km)

Altitude range 10 to 100 km above
Earth horizon
Altitude resolution 1 km
Detector operating
temperature 19 deqrees to 30 degrees C
Scan rate 15 km/sec
Sampling rate 64 samples/sec
Information bandwidth 1 Hz/km/channel
Radiometer resolution 3000 : 1
S:N Ratio (1.0 micron
channel) 1.5 X 105 at peak

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 HOLOGRAPHIC
DIFFRACTION
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CHANNEL CHANNEL A HIRROR

SECONDARY
\\\\\ \ MIRROR
WINDOW

SCAN
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SAGE OPTICAL SYSTEM

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TYPICAL mrjFNCE
DETECTOR ASSY'

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SAGE SENSOR ASSEMBLY

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 THE SPACECRAFT

The SAGE AEM-B is a small,

spacecraft which uses three vest lowcottye
low-cost view
ing instruments
major components: The structure primarily consists
a base module which contains of tWo
attitude control, data
handling, communications, the necessary
subsystems for the instrument command and
module containing the spectrometer and an instrument
ment. T and its supporting equip-
solar paddles for converting
extend from the structure. sunlight to electricity

tum into increased

Weight release will momentum
Boase c of
(5 then.Yo-yo:weights
be 'initiated module. and cables.
after the Scout's fourth-stage by the spacecraft timer'soon
burnout.
Spacecraft characteristics
follow:
Shape: Six-sided prism
Height:
Base module: 64.0 cm (25 in.)
.h-pcer~ Spacecraf
I
A~~~ toalomen-g 34 b.
Overall height
including antenna: 161.85
Weight:
cm (63.7 in.) *

Spacecraft total: 147.0 kg (324 lb.)

Base module and adptr 10,.2 kg 23 l.)

lb.).

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ORBIT
PLAME

SOtARAARAV *

DEFI.OY~tNTI~CH.

*, , .
tLECTRICALUMSILICAL
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DEfPIN SUPPOTt(4|)DELYlt~c

SUNSENODRNo.,
S UN OE3" go 3

THRO L CONT. .
RADIATOR
eLOUlVER a!|l!8 es gt A Hc
(UNDER)~
ORIGINAL prAGEF IS
y-- OF POOR QUALI -

SCANWHEEXL * . \ Q

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FAA Ie2 \

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TELEMETRY

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INSTRUMENT

EARTH

ORBITAL CONFIGURATION
 1, tr *r~-- - . - --. Add-

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:SAGE ORBIT

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D -18-

LAUNCH SEQUENCE

The Scout vehicle is equipped with a preprogrammed

guidance system where each expended stage separates
from the
vehicle on a timed sequence. The payload is protected
from
- the high aerodynamic pressures and temperatures during
ascent by a two-piece heatshield which is ejected
just prior
eo third stage ignition.

Event Time (Seconds)

Lift-off 0.00
.'a
Stage 1 burnout 82.93
Stage 2 ignition and
Stage 1 separation 87.87
stage 2 burnout 127.211
Heatshield ejection 155.39
Stage 3 ignition and
1.
Stage 2 separation ±3,7.39
Stage 3 burnout 190.97
I: Stage 3 separation

.T
605.86
Stage 4 ignition -mr,
610.71
Stage 4 burnout 644.02

4
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-mor,
 -19-

SAGE EXPERIMENT TEAM MEMBERSHIP

Institute of Atmospheric Physics

University of Arizona, Tucson
Dr. David G. Murcray
University of Denver
Dept. of Physics & Astronomy

Dr. Theordore J. Pepin

Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
i tUniversity of Wyoming, Laramie
Dr. Derek M. Connold
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dept. of Meteorology, Cambridge
Dr. Philip B. Russell
tAtmospheric Sciences Laboratory
Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, Calif.
Dr. Walter G. Planet
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Environmental Satellite Service
Satellite Experiment Laboratory, Suitland, Md.

Dr. Gerald W. Grams

School of Geophysical Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Dr. D. E. Miller
High Atmospheric Branch
Meteorological Office, Bracknell, United Kingdom

Team Leader & Experiment Scientist

A.

Dr. M. P. McCormick
Instrument Research Division
NASA/Langley Research Center,. Hampton, Va.
.

,,

Tea Leader___ & Exerient

-end-
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