FUTURE WITH LASER

The Future

LASE and LITE collected data on a wide range of phenomena, from aerosols in the upper atmosphere to cloud droplets, pollutants, and Earth's protective layer of ozone. Future lidar instruments will be tailored to specific purposes. NASA Langley engineers are currently building lasers with different characteristics for remote sensing needs. These lasers are very specialized, one-of-a-kind instruments which often require uncommon wavelengths and unusual pulse or light burst formats. They must be able to survive the rigors of launch and the harsh space environment and operate reliably for long periods. NASA Langley's goal is to have a laser operating unattended in space for five years, or an equivalent of five billion pulses. NASA Langley scientists have already tested a laser's ability to pulse that number of times. The next step is to have it do so in space

In 1994 the LITE instrument flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
An international team of scientists at over 50 locations around the world
helped collect data to confirm the measurements taken from space.

NASA Langley engineers are designing a laser to measure wind velocity. Global wind-velocity measurements taken from space help determine air circulation. Such knowledge would improve weather forecasting and determine the path of severe storms more accurately. Local air or ground readings would enhance aircraft safety by determining hazardous wind conditions. Laser wind sensors can detect strong downdrafts called wind

shear, which have been implicated in fatal airplane crashes. These lasers would also improve airport terminal efficiency by offering better information to those making air traffic decisions. This more sophisticated laser can determine vortices (horizontal tornadoes which are generated off the tips of larger airplane wings) which can upset smaller aircraft landing too close behind. These lasers can also determine when vortices are dispersed by local wind conditions which would allow smaller aircraft to land more efficiently.