Collaborative Research: SGER--Unmanned Aircraft System for In-Situ Sensing Along Atmospheric Airmass Boundaries

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A field experiment will be conducted to probe an atmospheric airmass boundary with simultaneous dual-Doppler radars and in-situ sampling with a small Unmanned Vehicle System (UAS). The primary purpose is to develop techniques that will allow the fusing of weather radar data with UAS telemetry to navigate a small unmanned aircraft (UA) to a region of interest that is identified and tracked with weather radar. In addition to the technical challenges, the experiment must also address the evolving Federal Aviation Administration regulations to integrate small UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). Intellectual Merit: This research activity will demonstrate the ability to navigate a small UA with an atmospheric sensor package into a transient mesoscale atmospheric phenomenon. Data from Colorado State University's NSF-sponsored CHILL and Pawnee radars will be fused with UAS telemetry to navigate the UA to a pre-existing atmospheric airmass boundary where in-situ data will be collected while the UA is controlled from its mobile ground station. This effort leverages technologies and experience developed at the University of Colorado's Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles (RECUV). Atmospheric scientists from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln will direct the navigation and interpret the data. Broader Impact: The research program has the potential to add a valuable data acquisition tool for mesoscale dynamic meteorology and potentially provide an instrument that can provide thermodynamic data in regions of severe convective storms that have been difficult to sample. This potentially could lead to better storm forecasts.