Project Title:

In Situ Measurements of Electric Charge Using the Perseus Unmanned Aircraft

92-1-13.02-3633                                                   NAS10-11975
In Situ Measurements of Electric Charge Using the
     Perseus Unmanned Aircraft
Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
10601 Observation Road, Manassas Municipal
Manassas, VA  22111
John S. Langford                                     (703-369-3633)

Abstract:

     Electric charge resident in clouds, along or near the path of
a space vehicle, presents the hazard of triggered lightning.
Ground-based electric field mills remotely sense electric charge
but alone cannot provide the structure of the electric field
aloft. While aircraft-based electric field mills have been used on
an experimental basis, they are probably too expensive for
operational use. The recently developed NASA Perseus unmanned
science research aircraft, however, offers a potential
breakthrough in electric field measurements. One Perseus aircraft
could carry multiple field mills along with drop-windsondes and
perform in situ measurements of water vapor, cloud properties, and
radiation at altitudes from the surface up to 30 km for durations
of 2 to 3 days at altitudes up to 20 km, and for costs an order of
magnitude below those of larger manned aircraft. The data could be
telemetered to the ground and integrated into the existing NASA
Kennedy Space Center electric charge measuring networking. Phase I
will conduct a feasibility study of this concept. Phase II will
use the Perseus proof-of-concept aircraft as a testbed for field
experiments.

Potential Commercial Application:

Potential Commercial Applications:  If this work is successful, it
could lead to routine airborne monitoring of electric fields and
other meteorological data for all future shuttle launches. 

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