This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7438, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, and Conference Committee listing.

The X-Ray Sensor (XRS) has been making observations of the solar soft X-ray irradiance for over thirty years onboard National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The XRS provides critical information about the solar activity for space weather operations, and the standard X-ray classification of the solar flares is based on its measurements. The GOES-R series of XRSs, with the first in the series to launch in 2014, has a completely new instrument design. The XRS spectral bands remain the same as before by providing the solar X-ray irradiance in the 0.05-0.4 nm and 0.1-0.8 nm bands. The changes include using Si photodiodes instead of ionization cells to improve performance, using multiple channels to allow wider dynamic range, providing quadrant photodiodes for real-time flare location measurements, and providing accurate radiometric calibrations using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility (SURF) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The EUV and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) on the upcoming GOES-R mission will include a spectrograph to measure the Magnesium II doublet at 280 nm (channel C). The ratio of the core of this spectral feature to the line wings is the well-known Mg II index. This ratio is often used as a proxy for chromospheric activity, since changes in the index are highly correlated with changes in other chromospheric emission lines. As a ratio measurement, the Mg II index is relatively insensitive to instrumental effects. The A and B channels of the Extreme UltraViolet Sensor (EUVS) will make use of this fact and use the Mg II index measured by channel C in their degradation correction. EUVS C channel has sufficient spectral resolution and sampling to measure the Mg II index with high precision and will make this measurement at better than 30 s time cadence. This paper describes the design and measurement requirements of the C channel.

Recognizing that the solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) irradiance is an important driver of space weather, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has added an Extreme Ultraviolet Sensor (EUVS) to its Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program, starting with the recently launched GOES-N, now designated GOES-13. For the GOES-R series (slated for launch starting in 2015) , the EUVS measurement concept has been redesigned. Instead of measuring broad bands spanning the EUV, the GOES-R EUVS will measure specific solar emissions representative of coronal, transition region, and chromospheric variability. From these measurements, the geo-effective EUV wavelength range from 5 to 127 nm can be reconstructed using models based on spectrally resolved measurements gathered over the full range of solar variability. An overview of the GOES-R EUVS design is presented. A description of the in-flight degradation tracking utilizing similar measurement and modeling techniques used to generate the EUV irradiance is also provided.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has developed the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) to research technologies needed to significantly advance the capability to operate spacecraft in the harsh radiation environment of medium-earth orbits (MEO). The ability to operate effectively in the MEO environment significantly increases the capability to field space systems that provide high-speed satellite-based communication, lower-cost GPS navigation, and protection for satellites from space weather effects. The one of DSX's physics based research areas is the Space Weather Experiment (SWx), characterizing and modeling the space radiation environment in MEO, an orbital regime attractive for future space missions.

HEPS was designed to measure high energy protons, with energies between 25 and 400 MeV, in the space environment. The instrument uses a collection of solid state Si particle detectors and Gadolinium Silicate (GSO) crystal scintillators to detect the protons and measure their energy. The sensors form a coaxial arrangement of four Si detectors, to provide an event trigger when struck by an incident proton. The energy measurement for each event is provided by the measurement of its energy losses in the two scintillator elements. Energy losses are determined by photodiodes that collect light produced in GSO by the protons. The HEPS flight unit was extensively calibrated in the 30-217 MeV energy range. The beam measurements were carried out at a series of angles in the instrument field-of-view as well as at larger angles to test its rejection capabilities. An extensive program of computer modeling of HEPS response has been carried out using the Monte Carlo particle interaction code MCNPX. Calibration data will be compared to the results of the calculations. Conclusions concerning the calibrated geometric factors will be discussed.

The CEASE instrument was designed to measure energetic electrons and protons in the space environment. It consists of two dosimeter detectors, a particle telescope and a Single Event Effect rate detector. CEASE was designed to be an engineering instrument providing real-time warnings of space weather hazards to the spacecraft operators. The Air Force Research Laboratory has flown CEASE instruments on two long term missions and is using the data as a part of its radiation belt model research. A third CEASE instrument will be flown on the Air Force Research Laboratory DSX mission. The method and results of the calibration of the particle telescope sensor on CEASE will be presented. An extensive program of telescope response simulation calculations has also been carried out using both simple analytical models and the Monte Carlo particle interaction codes, MCNPX and Integrated TIGER Series. Comparison of calculated telescope results to the measured calibration data will be presented.

The Loss Cone Imager (LCI) instrument is part of the US Air Force Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) satellite and is comprised of three components: the Fixed Sensor Head (FSH), the High Sensitivity Telescope (HST), and the Central Electronics Unit (CEU). The emphasis of this paper is on the FSH, which is comprised of three Si solid state detectors (SSD) each comprised of six pixels capable of measuring incident particle energies (~ 30 keV - 500 keV) and their respective pitch angles. The FSH is mounted onto the exterior of the DSX Payload Module and covers a 180° by 10° view of the sky. Each pixel has a 10° by 10° field of view. Due to a small geometric factor, the FSH is able to operate in the high particle flux areas of the Earth's magnetosphere. The Readout Electronics for Nuclear Application 3 (RENA3) chip, developed by NOVA R&D, contains 36 analog channels used for detection of nuclear events. Each of the 18 Si pixels is connected to a corresponding RENA3 channel for event detection and analog energy readout. The output of the chip is digitized and the digital value of each event, along with its corresponding RENA channel, is recorded by the Data Processing Unit housed in the CEU.

The Loss Cone Imager (LCI) will sample the energetic-particle pitch-angle distributions relative to the local geomagnetic field vector in the magnetosphere as a part of the Demonstration and Science Experiment (DSX) satellite. A description of the LCI electrical interfaces and data flow will be presented. The pitch angle and energy of energetic particles are recorded by the FSH (Fixed Sensor Head) and HST (High Sensitivity Telescope) sensor electronics using solid state detectors. Energetic particle data must be extracted from the FSH and HST by the DPU (Data Processing Unit) and stored in a format that is practical for ground data analysis. The DPU must generate a data packet that is sent to the experiment computer containing science and housekeeping data, as well as receive ground and time commands from the experiment computer. The commands are used to configure the sensor electronics and change the data acquisition periods of the science data. The instrument works in conjunction with the WIPER (Wave-Induced Precipitation of Electron Radiation) VLF (Very Low Frequency) transmitter on the DSX satellite to view the effects of VLF waves injected in the Earth's magnetic field on the precipitation of electrons into the Loss Cone. The system is designed to operate autonomously with the changing state of the transmitter to provide more appropriate data for examining the effects of the VLF transmitter.

The loss cone imager (LCI) on the demonstration science experiments mission (DSX) of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) was designed to measure the effect of waves on non-relativistic electrons in the slot of the radiation belts. The LCI comprises two instruments: a narrow ~7° acceptance-cone electron detector (HST) to measure the low-intensity electron flux in the local loss cone, and a three-pin-hole multi-pixel sensor, the fixed sensor head (FSH), measuring the electron intensity in a 180° x 10° continuous swath containing the HST look-direction at 45°. The design history of the LCI is briefly outlined; the relevant mechanical and signal processing parameters reviewed; and the differential response functions, including the normal data-number (DN) to engineering-unit (EU) conversion of raw data, required to generate the physics (model dependent) parameters discussed.

The Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV) has developed the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) mission to research technologies needed to significantly advance Department of Defense (DoD) capabilities to operate spacecraft in the harsh radiation environment of Medium-Earth Orbits (MEO). The ability to operate effectively in the MEO environment significantly increases the DoD's capability to field space systems that provide persistent global space surveillance and reconnaissance, high-speed satellite-based communication, lower-cost GPS navigation, and protection from space weather and environmental effects on a responsive satellite platform. The three DSX physics-based research/experiment areas are: 1. Wave Particle Interaction Experiment (WPIx): Researching the physics of Very-Low-Frequency (VLF) electromagnetic wave transmissions through the ionosphere and in the magnetosphere and characterizing the feasibility of natural and man-made VLF waves to reduce and precipitate space radiation; 2. Space Weather Experiment (SWx): Characterizing, mapping, and modeling the space radiation environment in MEO, an orbital regime attractive for future DoD, Civil, and Commercial missions; and 3. Space Environmental Effects (SFx): Researching and characterizing the MEO space weather effects on spacecraft electronics and materials. Collectively, thirteen individual payloads are combined together from these three research areas and integrated onto a single platform (DSX) which provides a low-cost opportunity for AFRL due to their common requirements. All three experiments require a 3-axis stabilized spacecraft bus (but no propulsion), a suite of radiation sensors, and extended duration in a low inclination, elliptical, MEO orbit. DSX will be launch-ready in summer 2010 for a likely launch comanifest with an operational DoD satellite on an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV).

Neutral oxygen (O I) is a dominant species between about 250 and 500 km in the thermosphere. A complete thermospheric model requires measurements of the species density ([O]) to incorporate into forward models. One way to measure [O] is to detect Bowen fluorescence at triplet 8446 Å. Bowen fluorescence is generated when thermospheric oxygen absorbs Solar Lyman-β and de-excites through a path eventually leading to 8446 emission. This emission must be distinguished from the brighter 8446 emission caused by photoelectron (PE) impact, which can be done by measuring the intensity ratio between two branches of the 8446 triplet. An instrument to measure Mid-latitude Bowen fluorescence has been installed at Millstone Hill Observatory. The instrument is a Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer (SHS), a novel type of Fourier transform spectrometer. This SHS was first used to observe Na Fraunhofer lines from dayglow at 589 nm, and then observed the 8446 region in an oxygen spectrum tube. Modifications to the system will allow it to observe 8446 emissions from the evening sky.

The High Sensitivity Telescope (HST) is a sensor comprising part of the Loss Cone Imager (LCI) on the DSX mission. The primary objective of the HST is to observe fluxes of energetic electrons as small as 100 e cm^-2sr^-1s^-1 within the Earth's atmospheric loss cone. This is accomplished via a geometrical factor of 0.1 cm²sr combined with a collimator limiting the field of view to a 7 degree half-cone angle. The sensors are shielded to in order to reduce the background to levels permitting the detection of the stated flux. The HST will be looking for changes in this flux caused by events precipitating electrons into the atmosphere. Of primary interest are electrons with energies between 20 and 500 keV. The HST utilizes two fully depleted solid state detectors and three analog measurement chains. The primary detector is 1500 um thick and uses two measurement chains. A faster measurement chain for counting events at rates of 300k/sec and a slower measurement chain for measuring the energy deposited by an event more accurately. The secondary detector is 1000 um thick and is used to detect events that completely penetrate the primary detector. The analog electronics are built from discreet amplifiers. Events on the faster primary chain are sorted into 5 energy bins. Events from the slow chain are digitized to 8-bits of resolution.

We will discuss the design, specification, construction, and assembly of the 4 mirror systems that make up the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Array (AIA). We will include the extensive imaging performance measurements made on the mirror throughout the post-polishing mirror processing period.

The design of the 4 telescopes that make up the Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDOAIA) is described. This includes the optical design, optical mounting system, front aperture filters, and launch protection system. SDO-AIA is a study of taking a difficult telescope design and making four of them. We describe the technical challenges associated with the telescope mounting, mirror mounting, and the front aperture filter design and launch protection.

HERSCHEL is a suborbital mission which will observe the solar corona in the UV and visible light by means of two coronagraphs and an EUV imager. One of the two coronagraphs is SCORE (Sounding CORonagraphic Experiment), developed mainly by some Italian scientific institutions. SCORE performs imaging of the extended corona from 1.4 to 4 solar radii in the broadband visible and in the UV lines HI 121.6 nm and HeII 30.4 nm. The CCD visible camera (VLD) of SCORE has been designed, built and characterized at the XUVLab of the University of Florence. In this paper we will describe the VLD calibration and testing performed before launch in order to evaluate the performances of SCORE.

January 2009 marked the 6th anniversary of the launch of the Air Force Research Laboratory Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) instrument on the Coriolis spacecraft. Originally planned as a three year mission, SMEI has amassed an unprecedented dataset of ~25,000 full-sky images since 2003 with a 102-minute cadence, 1° spatial resolution, and better than 8th magnitude sensitivity. SMEI, with its Sun/Earth line views, has been joined by the twin STEREO spacecraft, launched in October 2006, whose heliospheric Imagers (HIs) image along the ecliptic with opposing, off-axis views, 70° in diameter. These two data sets are complementary and several events observed by both SMEI and STEREO are being analyzed. But SMEI is nearing its end of life and the STEREO spacecraft continue to drift apart by 45°/year with decreasing telemetry coverage. What would be the characteristics of the next generation instrument in heliospheric imaging? What would the differences be for an operational instrument vs. a research instrument? What are the advantages of staring vs. composite imaging, views from the Sun/Earth line vs. other views, L1 position vs. low Earth orbit, etc? What are the engineering lessons learned from SMEI and STEREO and the environment through which such an instrument operates? In this presentation we discuss these issues and some possible future mission concepts.

We have fabricated a diamond-turned low-mass version of a toroidal mirror which is a key element for a spaceborne visible-light heliospheric imager. This mirror's virtual image of roughly a hemisphere of sky is viewed by a conventional photometric camera. The optical system views close to the edge of an external protective baffle and does not protrude from the protected volume. The sky-brightness dynamic range and background-light rejection requires minimal wideangle scattering from the mirror surface. We describe the manufacturing process for this mirror, and present preliminary laboratory measurements of its wide-angle scattering characteristics.

We are developing a portable adaptive optics system for solar telescopes. The adaptive optics has a small physical size and is optimized for diffraction-limited imaging in the 1.0 ~ 5.0-μm infrared wavelength range for 1.5-m class solar telescopes. By replacing a few optical components, it can be used with a solar telescope of any aperture size that is currently available. The software is developed by LabVIEW. LabVIEW's block diagram based programming makes it suitable for rapid development of a prototype system. The portable adaptive optics will be used with a 1.5-meter solar telescope for high-resolution magnetic field investigation in the infrared. We discuss the design philosophy for such a portable, low-cost, and high-performance system. Estimated performances are also presented.

SONNE, the SOlar NeutroN Experiment proposed for Solar Probe Plus, is designed to measure solar neutrons from 1-20 MeV and solar gammas from 0.5-10 MeV. SONNE is a double scatter instrument that employs imaging to maximize its signal-to-noise ratio by rejecting neutral particles from non-solar directions. Under the assumption of quiescent or episodic small-flare activity, one can constrain the energy content and power dissipation by fast ions in the low corona. Although the spectrum of protons and ions produced by nanoflaring activity is unknown, we estimate the signal in neutrons and γ−rays that would be present within thirty solar radii, constrained by earlier measurements at 1 AU. Laboratory results and simulations will be presented illustrating the instrument sensitivity and resolving power.

The GAME mission concept is aimed at very precise measurement of the gravitational deflection of light by the Sun, by an optimized telescope in the visible and launched in orbit on a small class satellite. The targeted precision on the γ parameter of the Parametrized Post-Newtonian formulation of General Relativity is 10^-6 or better, i.e. one to two orders of magnitude better than the best current results. Such precision is suitable to detect possible deviations from unity value, associated to generalized Einstein models for gravitation, with potentially huge impacts on the cosmological distribution of dark matter and dark energy. The measurement principle is based on differential astrometric signature on the stellar positions, i.e. on the spatial component of the effect rather than the temporal component as in recent experiments using radio link delay timing. Exploiting the observation strategy, it is also possible to target other interesting scientific goals both in the realm of General Relativity and in the observations of extrasolar systems. The instrument is a dual field, multiple aperture Fizeau interferometer, observing simultaneously two regions close to the Solar limb. The diluted optics approach is selected for efficient rejection of the solar radiation, while retaining an acceptable angular resolution on the science targets. We describe the science motivation, the proposed mission profile, the payload concept and the expected performance from recent results.

This paper describes the scientific goals of a sounding rocket program called the Solar Ultraviolet Magnetograph Investigation (SUMI), presents a brief description of the optics that were developed to meet those goals and discusses the spectral, spatial and polarization characteristics of SUMI's Toroidal Variable-Line-Space (TVLS) gratings, which are critical to SUMI's measurements of the magnetic field in the Sun's transition region.

In order to perform precise and high time cadence magnetic field measurement across the solar surface, the Tandem Fabry-Perot filter imaging spectro-polarimeter for the Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope (SMART) is revised. By using the CCD with moderate frame rate of 30fps, full Stokes vectors on the field-of-view 320"x240" can be obtained at 4 wavelengths around FeI6302 line within about 15s. The optical performance of the Tandem Fabry-Perof filters is investigated by using the spectrograph at the Domeless Solar Telescope at Hida Observatory. The test results show the full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) of the tandem filters is about 0.017nm over the 60mm clear aperture is achieved. The system is developed to start the regular observations from 2010.

The Dual Rotating Retarder Polarimeter technique has been used for the calibration of the EKPol polarimeter, which is a K-corona imaging instrument based on a Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder (LCVR), and designed to measure the linear polarized radiation coming from the solar corona during total solar eclipses. We put a major emphasis on the EKPol properties at different wavelengths and temperature. In particular, the chromatic dependence of the LCVR rotation prevents from using large band observations, owing to the loss of contrast in the measured modulation curves. This study is also intended as a basis for the design of achromatic LCVRs.

The Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System (RAIDS) is a suite of three photometers, three spectrometers, and two spectrographs which span the wavelength range 50-874 nm and remotely sense the thermosphere and ionosphere by scanning and imaging the limb. RAIDS was originally designed, built, delivered, and integrated onto a NOAA TIROS satellite in 1992. After a series of unfruitful flight opportunities, RAIDS is now certified for flight on the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2009. The RAIDS mission objectives have been refocused since its original flight opportunity to accommodate the lower ISS orbit and to account for recent scientific progress. RAIDS underwent a fast-paced hardware modification program to prepare for the ISS mission. The scientific objectives of the new RAIDS experiment are to study the temperature of the lower thermosphere (100-200 km), to measure composition and chemistry of the lower thermosphere and ionosphere, and to measure the initial source of OII 83.4 nm emission. RAIDS will provide valuable data useful for exploring tidal effects in the thermosphere and ionosphere system, validating dayside ionospheric remote sensing methods, and studying local time variations in important chemical and thermal processes.

The Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System (RAIDS) is a suite of eight sensors covering wavelengths from 55 to 874 nm that has been developed for comprehensive remote sensing of the upper atmosphere. Initially designed to orbit on a higher-altitude TIROS satellite, the RAIDS experiment has been refurbished for a new mission on the International Space Station Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility (JEM-EF). RAIDS measures the altitude profiles of dayglow and nightglow emissions for specification of key ionospheric and thermospheric constituents. This paper details four of the RAIDS sensors that will measure spectral features in the extreme (55-110 nm), far (130-180 nm), middle (200-300 nm), and near (300-400 nm) ultraviolet bands. The radiometric and spectral recharacterization of these sensors is highlighted, along with an overview of the primary features that this combination of experiments will measure to provide an unique perspective on the response of the ionosphere and thermosphere to space weather events.

The RAIDS experiment is a suite of eight instruments to be flown aboard the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility on the International Space Station (ISS) in late 2009. Originally designed, built, and integrated onto the NOAA TIROS-J satellite in 1993, the original RAIDS hardware and the mission objectives have been modified for this ISS flight opportunity. In this paper we describe the four near infrared instruments on the RAIDS experiment covering the wavelength range of 630 - 870 nm. Over the past two years these instruments have undergone modification, refurbishment, and testing in preparation for flight. We present updated sensor characteristics relevant to this new ISS mission and discuss performance stability in light of the long instrument storage period. The four instruments, operating in a limb scanning geometry, will be used to observe the spectral radiance of atomic and molecular emission from the Earth's upper atmospheric airglow. The passbands of the photometers are centered on the atomic lines OI(777.4), OI[630.0], and the 0-0 band of O2 Atmospheric band at 765 nm. The spectrometer scans from 725 to 870 nm. These observations will be used in conjunction with the other RAIDS instruments to investigate the properties of the lower thermosphere and to improve understanding of the connections of the region to the space environment, solar energy flux and the lower atmosphere. These studies are fundamentally important to the understanding the effects of the atmosphere and ionosphere on space systems and their operation in areas such as satellite drag, communications and navigation.

Measuring the solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) irradiance is a high priority for space weather and upper atmospheric research. We have designed and fabricated a sensor to measure the total solar irradiance in the extremely variable 17.1- 19.5 nm spectral band that contains numerous Fe emission lines and we are developing another similar sensor for the 30.4 nm He II spectral line. Each of these sensors uses a 4 mm diameter zone plate (ZP) to focus the in-band solar radiation onto a small pinhole in front of a detector. The focal length of a ZP is inversely proportional to wavelength, and the pinhole's diameter is sufficient to admit the in-band radiation from the full solar disk and inner corona. A 2 mm diameter central occulting disk minimizes the undiffracted (0-order) and out-of-band radiation that reaches the pinhole. Two thin Al film filters, one in front of the ZP and one deposited on the detector, are virtually opaque to wavelengths longer than EUV and prevent the detector from responding to most of the solar spectrum. A ZP has a number of advantages over a diffraction grating. Because it focuses in-band radiation, a ZP allows the detector to be smaller than the aperture, reducing both the dark current and the out-of-band response. The circular symmetry of the ZP eliminates both the polarization sensitivity and the shift in the spectral band with field angle that are intrinsic to a linear grating. The optical assembly is contained in a very small volume. We are planning to fly the Fe-band sensor as a secondary payload on NRL's VERIS sounding rocket solar measurement mission in the near future and are investigating the feasibility of flying both sensors on a future CubeSat mission.

A 4 mm diameter zone plate was calibrated in the 7 nm to 18.5 nm wavelength range using synchrotron radiation. The efficiency in the focused 1^st order was measured using the scanning monochromator at the Naval Research Laboratory beamline X24C at the National Synchrotron Light Source. The measured efficiencies were compared to efficiencies calculated by accounting for the partial transmittance through the molybdenum zone plate rings and the resulting phase enhancement of the efficiencies. Accurate absolute efficiency calibrations enable the use of zone plates in EUV solar irradiance monitors having excellent stability against contamination and oxidation.

A dosimeter-on-a-chip (DoseChip) comprised of a tissue-equivalent scintillator coupled to a solid-state photomultiplier (SSPM) built using CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology represents an ideal technology for a space-worthy, real-time solar-particle monitor for astronauts. It provides a tissue-equivalent response to the relevant energies and types of radiation for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and interplanetary space flight to the moon or Mars. The DoseChip will complement the existing Crew Passive Dosimeters by providing real-time dosimetry and as an alarming monitor for solar particle events (SPEs).[1] A prototype of the DoseChip, comprised of a 3 x 3 x 3 mm³ cube of BC-430 plastic scintillator coupled to a 2000-pixel SSPM, has successfully demonstrated response to protons at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory and at the HIMAC facility in Japan. The dynamic range of the dose has been verified over four orders of magnitude for particles with LET ranging from 0.2 keV/μm to 200 keV/μm, which includes 1-GeV protons to 420-MeV/n Fe nuclei. To exploit the benefits of the CMOS SSPM, we have developed our first autonomous prototype using the DoseChip. An analog circuit is used to process the signals from the SSPM, and an on-board microprocessor is used to digitize and store the pulse height information. Power is distributed over the device from a single dual voltage supply through various regulators and boost converters to appropriate supply voltages to each of the components.

The Tiny Ionospheric Photometer (TIP) sensors aboard the Constellation Observing System for Meterology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC, also called FORMOSAT-3) spacecraft comprise a suite of six nadir-viewing ultraviolet photometers for characterizing the Earth's nightside ionosphere. The TIP instruments complement the ionospheric capabilities of the GPS occultation experiment (GOX) by characterizing horizontal ionospheric density gradients. These photometers target OI 135.6 nm emission produced by ionospheric O⁺+e recombination and measure ionospheric structure with a spatial resolution of 10-30 km. The TIP instrument design had to solve several design challenges in order to achieve its intended science and mission requirements within operational constraints imposed by the spacecraft and budget constraints. The photometers have a simple design which excludes OI 130.4 nm emission and achieves a sensitivity of approximately 500 counts/s/Rayleigh at 135.6nm. The satellites initially orbited in the same plane at 500 km, then over the course of 13 months they were individually raised to their final 800 km orbits in six planes separated by 24° in right ascension. These maneuvers provided opportunities for cross-calibration among the sensors, for multipass observations as the satellites orbit together early in the mission, and for observations at different spatial resolutions as the spacecraft operate at different altitudes. In this paper we evaluate on-orbit sensor performance of the TIP sensors, and discuss improvements for follow-on missions.

The Tiny Ionospheric Photometer (TIP) instrument is a compact, high sensitivity UV photometer that observes the nighttime ionosphere of the Earth at 135.6 nanometers. The airglow emission from the nighttime ionosphere is produced primarily by radiative recombination of oxygen ions and electrons. The TIP instruments were launched aboard the Constellation Observing system for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3) satellites in April 2006 and have been operating nearly continuously since then. There are six TIP instruments, one on each of the six COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 satellites. Each instrument consists of a photomultiplier tube operated at the prime focus of an off-axis parabolic mirror and a bandpass filter. The instrument's bandpass is limited by the long-wavelength quantum efficiency fall-off of the cesium iodide photocathode in the photomultiplier tube and, to eliminate radiation shortward of 132.5 nm, by the use of a heated strontium fluoride filter. The sensitivities of the instruments were estimated to be ~400 ct/s/Rayleigh. In addition to the TIP instruments, the COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 satellites also carry the GPS Occultation Experiment (GOX) instruments, which are high accuracy Global Positioning Satellite receivers used for measuring tropospheric temperature/humidity profiles and for observing the ionospheric electron density. We present our technique for using tomographic inversion of coincident GOX and TIP ionospheric observations to determine and monitor the onorbit sensitivity of the TIP instruments.

Ground Support Equipment (GSE) ^[1] is a versatile and multifunctional graphical user interface (GUI) and a software/hardware platform. It is a custom-designed system executed in the LabVIEW programming language to serve as an instrument health monitor for the Loss Cone Imager (LCI) satellite project. GSE mimics the behavior of the onboard Experiment Computer System (ECS). Its functions comprise the measurement of voltage, current, and power, as well as acting as a safety mechanism in case of any anomalous condition (e.g., over-current and/or over-voltage situation). Individual log files record the sessions during which data is gathered and analyzed. Safety/warning alarm flags shall be 'visible' from any individual window/tab. Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC) particle group measurements will be displayed on six individual panels. GSE will be supplemented with a comprehensive user's manual for added clarity.

A collaboration between scientists and engineers at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Space Instruments (SI) has developed a six-channel, low-noise, highly stable electrometer ASIC. The ASIC is a mixed-signal (analog and digital), analog-to-digital converter on a single chip. Designed specifically to interface with an array of photodiodes, the ASIC is ideal for use in low-light level spectrometers or other applications where there are multiple low-level current sources.

A mechanical housing design is developed to ensure the survival of electronics and optimize the performance of solid state detectors orbiting through the Van Allen radiation belts. This design is part of the Loss Cone Imager on board the AFRL's DSX satellite and consists of three mechanically separate units: Fixed Sensor Head; High Sensitivity Telescope; and Central Electronics Unit. These units need to withstand the vibrations and shocks associated with launch as well as provide shielding to highly energetic radiation and micrometeorite impacts. To obtain optimal performance from the detectors and high reliability from the electronics thermal restrictions are incorporated into the mechanical designs.

We have developed a state-of-the-art image slicer Integral Field Unit (IFU) for the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope (McMP) located at Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory. The IFU will be used for high-resolution 3-dimensional spectroscopy and polarimetry over a small field of view that is well corrected by adaptive optics. It consists of 19 effective slices that correspond to a field of view of 6.27"x 7". The IFU delivers a 152" long slit to an existing spectrograph producing diffraction-limited 3-dimensional spectroscopy. The 3-D instrument is being used for highspatial and high-temporal resolution imaging of the Sun, which is crucial for the magnetic field and spectroscopic studies of 2-dimensional solar fine structures. We discuss the instrument construction, laboratory test and on-site trial observations with the McMP.