First Global Hawk Dropsonde Launch

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Dropsonde Operations in HS3 2012

G. A. Wick, J. R. Spackman, T. Hock, andM. L. Black

Prelude: Ongoing Analyses

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• WISPAR analyses nearing completion• Atmospheric River analysis

• AR transport characteristics• Comparison with NWP reanalyses• Publication to be submitted within ~1 month

• Arctic flight• Janet Intrieri leading publication for submission

• Comparison with satellite integrated water vapor underway• HS3 Pacific comparison desirable• Global Hawk dropsonde system overview paper getting underway

WISPAR – AR Analysis

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HS3 2012

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NCAR/NOAA GH Dropsonde System

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Dropsonde System Launch Tube

Dropsonde Launch Assembly

Dropsonde System Electronics

Dropsonde 2012 Summary

• High-altitude, long-endurance UAS

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Flight Date Target Sonde Released/Loaded

Notes

1 Sept 5-6 Ferry & Leslie 30/50 Excellent Data, NASA inadvertently turned off power to all instruments, impacted one sounding

2 Sept 11-12 Nadine 34/78 First real-time GTS data transmission. Sonde jams in launch tube, halts continued release of sondes.RF noise issue emerges in flight

3 Sept 14-15 Nadine 70/71 RFI continues, poor telemetry

4 Sept 19-20 Nadine 76/80 RFI continues, poor telemetry, 1 sonde failed to release in storage bin

5 Sept 22-23 Nadine 58/58 RFI continues, poor telemetry, Data system required reboots, lost data to 6 soundings

6 Sept 26-27 Nadine 75/75 RFI continues, poor telemetry

Total Sondes Dropped 343

2012 Flights

• High-altitude, long-endurance UAS• 55,000 – 65,000 ft

• Wing Span: 116.2 ft

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2012 Accomplishments

• First operations with Ku communications• Improved system operability and data display

• Raw D-files downloaded during flight

• Real-time ASPEN processing

• Near real-time posting of skew-T plot to MTS

• Near real-time transmission to GTS

• Data referenced in NHC Nadine forecast discussions

• Full 8-channel capability demonstrated• ~90 second launch spacing at our discretion

• New record number of sondes deployed

• Real-time feedback on cloud top heights

• Demonstrated deployment flexibility in additional Atlantic FIRs

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Near Real-time Data Display

dum

9Nadine Flight, 14 September 2012

HS3 2012 Sample Results

• 5 science flights to date

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BASED ON THE IMPROVED SATELLITE APPEARANCE AND TROPICAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF 2.5 AND 3.0 FROM SAB AND TAFB... NADINE IS CLASSIFIED AS A TROPICAL STORM ONCE AGAIN. DROPSONDE DATA FROM AN ONGOING NASA GLOBAL HAWK MISSION SUGGESTS THAT THE MAXIMUM WINDS ARE NEAR 50 KT. A DROPWINDSONDE NEAR THE CENTER AROUND 1030 UTC MEASURED A PRESSURE OF 989.9 MB WITH STRONG WINDS...SO THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 986 MB.

TROPICAL STORM NADINE DISCUSSION NUMBER 44

NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

1100 AM AST SUN SEP 23 2012

Nadine flight and rapid launch sequence14 March 2012

Nadine flight 22-23 March 2012

Impact of HS3 Dropsondes for NadineTrack Error (nm) Intensity: Max. Wind Error (kts)

Intensity: Min. SLP Error (hPa)

Bias (dash)

HS3 drops

No dropsHS3 drops

No drops

HS3 drops

No drops

Bias (dash)

• Dropsonde impact experiments performed for 19-28 Sep. (3 flights)

- Red: with HS3 drops- Blue: No drops with synthetics

• COAMPS-TC Intensity and Track skill are improved greatly through assimilation of HS3 Drops.

ESRL Science Directions

• Tropical-extratropical transition: trough interactions• Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions: Role of SAL• HS3 science investigations: Build collaborations with

investigator teams that are using the dropsonde data

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System Performance Statistics

• Launcher Performance• 1 system jam due to parachute cap anomaly

• 89% deployment success: 343 of 387 desired

• 1 sonde stuck in dispenser

• Additional safety latch spring problem on S-NPP underflight

• 100% IR communication success

• Sonde Performance• 1 failed temperature sensor

• 1 sonde with no GPS data

• Overall System Statistics• Percentage of sondes with useable data/real-time display:

92%

• Telemetry issues to follow13

Data Retrieval and Telemetry Performance

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Flight #1

Black: % of good PTU And GPS Winds dataRed: % of bad PTU dataGreen: % of bad GPS Wind data

Drops

Data Return to the Surface

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PTH to Surface Winds to Surface0

20

40

60

80

100

120

78

51

96 96

76

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HS3 2012 Dropsonde DataAll Flight #1 Flights # 2-6

Perc

enta

ge

Flight #1: No RF Interference, system and sondes performed very wellFlights #2 to #6: RF Interference, significant impact to data retrieval

HS3 2012: Science Flight #2 (Nadine)• Two AVAPS 400 MHz Spectrum Analyzer data frames during Flight• Average noise floor jump 10 dB ( -110 dBm to ~ -100 dBm )• These plots are 6 seconds apart in time

Minimal RF Interference (Drop #1) RF Interference( All subsequent Drops)

approx mean: -110 dBmapprox mean: -102 dBm

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Drop #1 of Flight 2 No RF InterferenceRaw Data of Temp, RH, Wind Speed versus Pressure)

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Drop #8 of Flight 2 RF InterferenceRaw Data of Temp, RH, Wind Speed versus Pressure

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Drop #31 of Flight 3 RF InterferenceRaw Data of Temp, RH, Wind Speed versus Pressure)

Plane BankingComplete loss of data

Lessons Learned

• Two AVAPS team members required in the PMOF• Dedicated drop operator necessary because of intensive comms• Science seat valuable for real-time science interactions and coordination of

drop plan modifications

• Availability of additional team for real-time processing almost a necessity

• Real-time data use feasible and highly beneficial• Sonde preparation more time consuming than expected (~4 hours

for 80 sondes)• Lack of testing opportunities in flight configuration adds risk• Opportunities to debug during high-tempo operations is limited• End-to-end communications testing in hangar desirable• Formal pre-flight testing procedures required

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Status/Plans for 2013

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• 2012 Quality-controlled data just released• 2013 sonde production underway

• 550 sondes to be available

• 5 week deployment planned for 2013• August 20 through September 23

• Expect 5-6 flights

• 2 aircraft operations from NASA Wallops

Plans for Addressing Interference

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• Relocate antenna to tail of aircraft• New double-shielded high-quality coax cable• Modified transmission of wind data• Plans to test fly computer system in May

Summary

• Many important new firsts this year• Ku-band data transfer

• Near-real time processing and display

• Real-time data utility demonstrated• Forecast discussions

• Real-time flight planning

• Poor telemetry impacted data quality• Loss of data near surface and during maneuvers

• RF interference issues must be resolved

• Improvements required for manufacturability of parachute cap

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Extra Slides

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Global Hawk Dropsonde Overview

• Developed through collaborative partnership between NOAA, NCAR, and NASA

• Relies on NCAR/EOL’s long experience with dropsonde development, aircraft launch systems, and data Q/C processing

• Uses new Global Hawk sonde: smaller and lighter than standard dropsondes

• System has 88-sonde and 8-channel capacity (track 8 sondes simultaneously)

• Automated telemetry frequency selection

• D-file returned to ground following drop

• Ground processing enables GTS transmission

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NASA Global Hawk UAS

• High-altitude, long-endurance UAS• 55,000 – 65,000 ft• 28 hour endurance

• Wing Span: 116.2 ft• Length: 44.4 ft• Payload: >1500 lbs• Communications

• Iridium• Ku-band high rate

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Global Hawk Operations Center (GHOC)

Global Hawk

Sonde Specifications

• Size: 4.5 cm dia. X 30.5 cm length• Mass: ~167 g• Fall rate: ~11 m/s at surface • Sensors based on Vaisala RS-92

radiosonde sensor module• Temperature: +60° to -90 ° C , 0.01 ° C resolution • Humidity: 0 to 100%, 0.1% resolution• Pressure: 1080 to 3 mb, 0.01 mb resolution• 2 Hz update rate

• Winds based on OEM GPS receiver and position• 4 Hz update rate

• Stable cone parachute design• Remote control of power on/off and sonde

release• Designed for extreme environmental

conditions

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