Inter-Continental Atmospheric Radiosonde Upper-air Sounding
System( ICARUSS)
Hal Cole, Mel Shapiro,
Vin Lally, Terry Hock, Rolf Langland
Surface & Sounding Systems Facility (SSSF)
Atmospheric Technology Division (ATD)
National Center for Atmospheric Research * (NCAR)
Boulder, CO * The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science
Foundation
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
ICARUSS System Overview
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Zero-pressureB alloon
G ondola(24 sonde capacity)
6 hoursbetw eendrops
NORTHAMERICA
EUROPE
O rbC om mLEO S ate llite
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Balloon System Requirements
Receive and process data from each sonde deployed.
Payload of 24 GPS sondes
Operation at 50 mb to 100 mb (~18 km)
Zero-Pressure Balloon duration up to 6 days
Sondes released at programmed intervals (6 hours typical) or on
command from ground station
Descent time of sonde ~24 minutes from 18 km.
Near-surface fall rate of ~8 m/s
Data generated for each sonde and sent via LEO satellites to
ground station
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
0
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0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
PRESSURE - MB
AL
TIT
UD
E -
FE
ET
STANDARD ATMOSPHERE PRESSURE VS ALTITUDE
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
INFLATION OF POLYETHYLENE BALLOON
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
BALLOON BEING PREPARED FOR LAUNCH
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
BALLOON LAUNCHED
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
ICARUSS BALLOON LOAD VS ALTITUDE DATA
ASSUMPTIONS:1. 24 Sondes @ 300 gms2. Ballast is 36% of Gross3. Gross = Balloon + Payload + Free Lift
Alt. Ft.
Press.mb
Ballastkg
Gondolakg
Sondekg
Balloonkg
Heliumkg
Grosskg
45920 141 14.8 10 7.2 3 5.9 40.949200 120.4 14.8 10 7.2 3 5.9 40.952480 102.9 15.6 10 7.2 3 6.2 4255790 78.7 15.6 10 7.2 3 6.2 4259040 75.1 16.3 10 7.2 3 6.5 4362320 64.1 16.3 10 7.2 3 6.5 4365600 54.8 17 10 7.2 3 6.8 4468880 46.8 17 10 7.2 3 6.8 4472160 40 17 10 7.2 3 6.8 44
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
STANDARD ATMOSPHERES - TEMPERATURE VS ALTITUDE
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-80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
TEMPERATURE - C
AL
TIT
UD
E -
FT
POLAR
TROPICAL
STANDARD
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Flight Train
Load attachment lines
Parachute
Satellite antenna
Balloon
Cut down
Shock absorber
Sonde receiving antenna
GPS antenna
Gondola
~~
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Gondola Overview
4-layer Styrofoam
Sonde launch tube (24)
Ballast compartment (4)
Electronics bay
50 cm
40 cmCross-section
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
ICARUSS Sonde
GPS Antenna
GPS Receiver
Microprocessor
Battery
Radio Transmitter Pressure sensor
Hum idity sensorstemperature sensorand
Cross Parachute
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Sonde Description
Diameter: 7.0 cm
Length: 31.75 cm
Weight: < 300 grams
Sensors: Pressure, Temperature, Humidity, Wind
Speed/Direction
Sensor Update Rate: 1 Hz
Wind data derived from Navigation GPS receiver
Telemetry via 400 MHz transmitter to Balloon
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
DROPONDE FALLVELOCITY AND TIME FOR A STANDARD ATMOSPHERE
DROPSONDE FALL TIME FOR 30 cm CHUTE
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0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00
FALL TIME - MINUTES
AL
TIT
UD
E -
FE
ET
DROPSONDE FALL VELOCITY FOR 30 cm POCKET CHUTE
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5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00 45.00
FALL VELOCITY - M/S
AL
TIT
UD
E -
FE
ET
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Sonde PTH Sensors
Vaisala PTH OEM Module RSS903 (same sensor module used in Vaisala’s RS90 radiosonde):
Pressure Sensor Range: 100 mb to 1060 mb Resolution: 0.1mb Accuracy: ± 0.5 mb *
Temperature Sensor Range: -90° to +40° C Resolution: 0.1° Accuracy: ± 0.2° *
Humidity Sensor Range: 0% to 100% Resolution: 1% Accuracy: ± 2% *
* standard deviation of difference between two successive calibrations
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Sonde Windfinding
GPS Receiver: Commercial OEM GPS Receiver
Receiver Specifications– Tracks up to 12 Satellites simultaneously– L1 frequency C/A only receiver – Horizontal Winds
Range: 0 to 150 m/s Resolution: 0.1 m/s Accuracy: ±0.5 m/s Position: 100 meters SEP with SA
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Gondola Electronics
400 MHzReceiver
Single Board Computer
2-WaySatellite
Transceiver
GPS Receiver
Lithium BatteryPower Supply
Sonde &Balloon Ballast
Control Electronics
GPS Antenna
Satellite Antenna400 MHzAntenna
Transponder
Antenna
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Gondola Electronics
Sonde/Ballast Controller
Single-Board Computer
PTH Buffer
400 MHz Telemetry Receiver
GPS Receiver
Lithium Batteries (10)
Card Chassis
Satellite Transceiver
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
ORBCOMM Satellite Coverage
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Estimated Costs
Total costs per balloon deployment: 24 sondes @ $250 = $6,000
Balloon package: $3,000
Cost per sounding: $375
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Example of sounding coverage fromDriftsondes deployed over Canada, Greenland & Iceland
Initial Launch Time: 00 UTC 30 Nov 1999 17 launch sites
Deployment Interval: 12hr
Drift Level: 45 mb
Coverage at: 18UTC 01Dec & 12UTC 02Dec 1999
Sea-Level Pressure
NCAR / ATD / SSSF
Example of sounding coverage fromDriftsondes deployed on the Asian Pacific rim
Initial Launch Time: 00 UTC 06 Feb 1999 13 launch sites
Deployment Interval: 12hr
Drift Level: 100 mb
300 mb Geopotential Ht
Coverage at: 18UTC 10Feb & 00UTC 11Feb 1999
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