Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS)

The Atmospheric Chemistry Group (ACG) has developed two UAS payloads for investigating aerosol and cloud radiative forcing. The Clear Sky payload contains instruments for the measurement of aerosol properties relevant to direct radiative forcing. These measurements include total particle number concentration, particle number concentration as a function of particle size, aerosol light absorption coefficient, aerosol optical depth, broadband radiation, aerosol chemical composition, and atmospheric T and RH. The Cloudy Sky payload contains instruments for the measurement of aerosol and cloud properties relevant to indirect radiative forcing. These measurements include total particle number concentration, particle number concentration as a function of particle size, cloud droplet number concentration and size distribution, broadband radiation, and atmospheric T and RH.

The payloads are designed for use with the FVR-90 hybrid vertical-take-off-and-landing (VTOL) – Fixed Wing UAS. The FVR technology allows for autonomous launch and recovery from confined spaces, such as a ship deck, without the need for a runway or catapult. Once launched, the UAS transitions to fixed wing flight with an endurance of up to 6 hours, a ceiling height of 12,000’, and the ability to carry a 22 lb payload.

To date, the payloads have flown onboard an FVR UAS from coastal sites in Oregon (Tillamook) and California (Vandenberg 2023 and Vandenberg 2024).

Uncrewed Observations from Ships of Opportunity

ACG is also developing a Modular Sampling Platform (MSP) for the uncrewed measurements of aerosol properties from ships of opportunity. Development of the MSP is in collaboration with the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as part of the Boundary layer Exploration of Aerosols and Clouds ON Ships (BEACONS) project.