MEASUREMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC ATTENUATION ABOARD USAS AMERICAN MARINER
Abstract
In the course of the analysis of optical measurements obtained on reentry studies made from USAS AMERICAN MARINER, a knowledge of the atmospheric attenuation between the reentry event and the observer is necessary. The problem of atmospheric effects on the observation of a reentry event entails a knowledge of the transmission of the entire atmosphere at different elevation angles and is hence almost identical to the atmospheric transmission problem faced by astronomers. The problem was to measure the effect of elevation angle on the flux density incident at the observer. The relation between air mass and elevation angle assumes a planar atmosphere and is good down to elevation angles of 5 degrees or so. The air mass at an angle of 90 degrees (overhead) is defined as air mass 1. By the compilation of extensive data in the nominal reentry area, an atmospheric model is under development which will permit, in the absence of specific measurements, correction for atmospheric attenuation to an expected accuracy of 20%.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 12, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0273612
Entities
People
- H.r. Byck