Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere from Satellite Platforms

作为第三个进入太空的国家，加拿大有着利用卫星进行测量以增进科学知识的悠久传统。这项探索赠款提案的首要目标是研究技术和开发软件基础设施，以保持加拿大在卫星平台遥感大气领域的世界领先地位。我们希望以加拿大的传统和专业知识为基础，制定一项卫星任务概念：-提高我们对地球表面上方约15公里对流层顶附近发生的大气过程的了解；-监测和帮助我们了解我们的大气正在如何变化；以及-预测空气质量和天气等重要数量。我们萨斯喀彻温大学的团队在加拿大航天局(CSA)的资助下，开发了四种不同光学仪器的原型版本，并在高空气球和高空飞行的飞机平台上进行了广泛的测试。在过去的二十五年里，我们还开发了一套复杂的软件工具来分析这些仪器收集的数据。该软件还可以用作模拟器系统，以协助将四个开发仪器转换为完全空间合格版本所需的设计过程。这项提议将有助于我们实现长期目标，其短期目标是：-开发和实施文件齐全的模拟器系统，以协助设计仪器；-增强模拟空间光学仪器所看到信号的计算模型；以及-利用这些软件工具设计最优的卫星任务，利用现有的加拿大技术向科学家和公众提供与我们的大气层及其持续变化有关的宝贵信息。

As the third nation in space Canada has a long tradition of making measurements from satellites to further scientific knowledge. The overarching objective of this Discovery Grant proposal is related to research into techniques and the development of software infrastructure to maintain Canada's position as a world leader in the field of remote sensing the atmosphere from satellite platforms. We want to build on Canadian heritage and expertise to develop a satellite mission concept to: - improve our understanding of atmospheric processes taking place near the tropopause around 15 km above the surface of the earth; - monitor and help us understand how our atmosphere is changing; and - forecast important quantities such as air quality and weather. Our group at the University of Saskatchewan has, with funding from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), developed prototype versions of four different optical instruments that have been tested extensively on high altitude balloons and high flying aircraft platforms. Over the past twenty five years we have also developed a sophisticated suite of software tools to analyze data collected by these instruments. This software can also be used as a simulator system to aid in the design process required to transition the four developmental instruments to fully space qualified versions. The short term objectives of this proposal that will help us achieve our long term goal are to: - develop and implement a fully documented simulator system to aid in instrument design; - enhance computational models that simulate signals seen by space based optical instruments; and  - use these software tools to design the optimal satellite mission that will use existing Canadian technology to provide scientists, and the general public, with valuable information related to our atmosphere and its continued change.