The irradiance instrument subsystem (IRIS) on the airborne-lunar spectral irradiance (air-LUSI) instrument

Abstract

The objective of the airborne lunar spectral irradiance (air-LUSI) project is to make low uncertainty, SI-traceable measurements of the LUSI in the visible to near-infrared region from an aircraft above most of the optically absorbing components of the atmosphere. The measurements are made from a NASA ER-2 aircraft, which can fly at altitudes of approximately 20 km above sea level. Air-LUSI measurements, corrected for residual atmospheric attenuation, are designed to provide a matrix of low uncertainty top-of-the-atmosphere lunar irradiances at known lunar phase and libration angles to be compared and combined with other lunar irradiance data sets to constrain the uncertainties in models of lunar irradiance and reflectance. The measurements are also expected to provide insight into the differences between models and satellite sensor measurements of lunar irradiance. This paper describes the development and characterization of the air-LUSI subsystem for acquiring lunar measurements, called the irradiance instrument subsystem, prior to flight.