HIGH ALTITUDE DAYTIME SKY BACKGROUND RADIATION MEASUREMENT PROGRAM. PART I. SKY LUMINANCE, POLARIZATION, AND ALBEDO DATA FROM RESEARCH VEHICLE NO. 1

The radiation characteristics of the daytime sky background are a primary factor in establishing the performance characteristics of star tracking components for stellar-inertial guidance systems. A high resolution Spectrophotometer was developed which has been operated during high altitude flights of Research Vehicle 1 to measure the radiance, polarization, luminance, spectral distribution, and luminance ratios albedo of the daytime sky. The spectral range of investigation is from the near ultraviolet to the near infrared. Data were recorded from 20,000 to 70,000 feet altitude during six flights covering all daytime conditions from sunrise to sunset. The terrain over which data were taken included the California desert, the ocean, and a mountain range.