USE OF LASER-why we need to see

Why We Need to See

We all need to care about our atmosphere. It affects all of us. It affects our weather. It affects the ozone which protects us by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation. Global pollution affects the air we breathe and the amount of sunlight that reaches us. Dust storms and volcanic eruptions also alter our atmosphere. If we can more accurately forecast natural occurrences, like the weather, we can be prepared. And, if we can actually see the results of what we may be doing to hurt our planet's atmosphere, we can change our bad habits.

NASA Langley engineers continue to develop more sophisticated lasers to measure atmospheric water content. These instruments would provide information for longer-term rain forecasts which could improve the allocation of already scarce water resources.

Laser technology is also being developed for potential future missions to measure ozone and other greenhouse gases which are main contributors to global warming and cooling. It is important to understand more about these atmospheric constituents in order to understand and respond to global climate changes. NASA Langley is helping the U.S. in a joint project with Canada to develop spaceborne laser missions to learn more about atmospheric ozone. This international effort comes after satellite data has recorded ozone depletion near both of the Earth's polar regions. An advanced lidar system called ORACLE (Ozone Research with Advanced Cooperative Lidar Experiments) will provide key information needed for understanding global change, atmospheric, chemistry, ozone depletion, meteorology and other environmental issues.

NASA Langley will join with other NASA centers to develop laser remote sensing instruments for possible future moon, Mars and other planetary exploration. Lasers designed for altimetry readings will aid in making planetary maps. Lasers also will be instrumental in determining winds and the amounts of atmospheric aerosols. This information will help designers know what conditions they would confront as they design future spacecraft for a mission to the moon or Mars.

In response to the increased concern for Earth's atmosphere, NASA Langley is researching new ways to collect and analyze this important data. As researchers develop the technology necessary to do this, they bring us closer to understanding how to protect our atmosphere.