Accession Number:

ADA278785

Title:

UVPI Imaging from the LACE Satellite: The Low Cost Launch Vehicle (LCLV) Rocket Plume

Descriptive Note:

Interim rept.

Corporate Author:

NAVAL RESEARCH LAB WASHINGTON DC

Personal Author(s):

• Smathers, H. W.
• Horan, D. M.
• Cardon, J. G.
• Malaret, E. R.
• Perez, L.

Report Date:

1993-09-24

Pagination or Media Count:

118.0

Abstract:

The Ultraviolet Plume Instrument UVPI is a small, plume-tracking instrument flown on the Naval Research Laboratorys Low-power Atmospheric Compensation Experiment LACE satellite. The plume camera has a relatively narrow field of view, 0.184 deg by 0.137 deg, and observes sources through any of four filters with passbands of 195 to 295 nm, 200 to 320 nm, 235 to 350 nm, and 300 to 320 nm. The LCLV Low Cost Launch Vehicle was launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, before sunrise on 6 February 1991. The third stage, powered by an Aries solid-fuel rocket motor, reached a 117-km altitude and was successfully detected and tracked by the UVPI from a range of 450 to 550 km. The spectral radiance and spectral radiant intensities of the missile plumes were extracted from these images for the four passbands. Ultraviolet plume instrument, Plume tracking, Low cost launch vehicle, UVPI, Spectral radiance, Aries motor, UV, Spectral radiant intensities, Missile plumes, LACE Satellite, LCLV, Plume imaging.

Descriptors:

• *LAUNCH VEHICLES
• *GUIDED MISSILE DETECTION
• *TRACKING CAMERAS
• *ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION
• *ROCKET EXHAUST
• LOW POWER
• LOW COSTS
• INTENSITY
• TRACKING
• OPTICAL IMAGES
• SPECTRA
• RADIANCE
• IMAGES
• ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
• CAMERAS
• NAVAL RESEARCH
• PLUMES
• ALTITUDE
• EXHAUST PLUMES
• ROCKET ENGINES
• SOLID PROPELLANT ROCKET ENGINES
• ROCKETS
• SUNRISE
• ULTRAVIOLET SIGNATURES
• SOLID FUELS

Subject Categories:

• Antimissile Defense Systems
• Ultraviolet Detection and Detectors
• Rockets

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE