An evaluation of aerosol sensors in stratospheric conditions using low-cost commercial sensors onboard a high-altitude balloon
- Paper number
GLOC-2023,T,IP,x75253
- Author
Mr. Martin Salazar, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (Lima, Perù), Peru
- Year
2023
- Abstract
Interest in stratospheric aerosols has grown in recent decades, mainly because of their increase and their possible applications to mitigate global warming, since they can scatter radiation penetrating the planet. However, there is uncertainty about their concentration and their relationship with different atmospheric parameters, as well as about the effects they cause due to their large spatial and temporal variability, and the physical and chemical processes to which they are exposed. WANKA is a mission developed by Peruvian university students from different universities, whose main objective is to develop a low-cost device capable of measuring multiple atmospheric parameters, mainly the concentration of stratospheric aerosols. It was carried out by launching a payload at the High Altitude Student Platform, which operates as a partnership between NASA's Balloon Program Office and the Louisiana Space Consortium to train students in the development of aerospace projects. WANKA developed a cost-effective way to measure stratospheric aerosol concentration using two low-cost commercial sensors based on particle light scattering, the Plantower PMS 7003 and the Sharp GP2Y1010AU0F. To make these measurements, a system was developed that constantly acquires samples from the stratosphere and adjusts them to the conditions under which the sensors can operate. The payload underwent thermovacuum and communications integration testing at NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) in Palestine, Texas, where it obtained flight certifications for both years in July 2021 and 2022. The payload was launched twice in September 2021 and 2022 from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, USA and most of the subsystems performed as expected for this type of application, the payload verified on both occasions correlations of atmospheric parameters including stratospheric aerosol concentration. The team developed a device that is capable of maintaining the low-cost sensors within their operating range for more than 20 continuous hours of flight at 40 km altitude, allowing consistent and comparable measurements with references.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)