Use of an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) for Investigations of Aerosol, Cloud, and Radiation Interactions in the Marine Atmosphere.

In 2024, NOAA PMEL continued beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and long endurance flight operations to expand the agency’s use of UAS to gather critical data. Following upon 2023 operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), UAS flights were once again conducted in 2024. PMEL, in partnership with the UAS Division and Overwatch Aero, flew payloads onboard the hybrid FVR-90 Vertical Take Off and Landing – Fixed Wing UAS. The hybrid nature of the FVR-90 allows for autonomous launch and recovery from confined spaces, such as a ship deck, without the need for a runway or catapult. With a 20-lb payload onboard it is able to fly up to 6 hrs (~240 miles). The modular nose cone configuration is designed for easy and quick swapping of payloads between flights. Its pusher engine is ideal for reducing contamination during air sampling. In 2024, the UAS completed 8 flights and 1,317 minutes of flight time with some flights lasting up to 4 hours and reaching altitudes of 325 to 9,000’ above sea level. Flights were conducted over the coastal waters of central California up to 25 NM from shore. 

PMEL’s payloads measured vertical profiles of aerosol, cloud, and radiative properties to assess clear sky aerosol radiative effects (Clear Sky Payload) and aerosol – cloud interactions (Cloudy Sky Payload). This set of instrumentation allows for assessing the connections between aerosol, cloud, and radiative properties that play a role in marine cloud brightening. 

The 2024 BVLOS operations over coastal waters advanced the ultimate goal of conducting routine long endurance flights from NOAA ships for applications at PMEL, OAR, and other line offices.