ALTUS Cloud Electrification Study (ACES) Triggered Data

The ALTUS Cloud Electrification Study (ACES) was Based at the Naval Air Facility Key West in Florida. ACES researchers in August 2002 conducted overflights of thunderstorms over the southwestern corner of Florida. For the first time in NASA research an uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) named ALTUS was used to collect cloud electrification data. Carrying field mills, optical sensors, electric field sensors and other instruments, it allowed scientists to collect cloud electrification data for the first time from above the storm from it's birth through dissipation. This experiment allowed scientists to achieve the dual goals of gathering weather data safely, and testing new aircraft technology.

This dataset consists of data collected from seven instruments: the Slow/Fast antenna, Electric Field Mill, two Optical Pulse Sensors, Searchcoil magnetometer and Accelerometers.

These data are collected at 200KHz from the first 16 telemetry items collected at on the aircraft and are initiated by an operator selected trigger (e.g. DOPS), and continues collecting for as long as the trigger continues.

More details

(START DATE: 10 Jul 2002 STOP DATE: 29 Aug 2002)

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