Mission: A multi-instrument airborne campaign to monitor the shallow reentry of ESA's 5th, and final, Automated Transfer Vehicle over the south Pacific ocean to better understand the physics of the end of life International Space Station de-orbit and the physics of shallow uncontrolled reentries.

	Jay Grinstead - ATV-5 Observing Campaign Project Manager (NASA Ames). The ATV-5 Shallow Reentry Observing Campaign is managed by NASA Ames Research Center's Aerothermodynamics Branch (code TSA).
	Tim Moes - DC-8 Airborne Laboratory mission manager (NASA AAOF). The DC8 aircraft is operated from the NASA Armstrong Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA.

NASA DC-8 Airborne Laboratory

The NASA DC-8 Airborne Laboratory aircraft used in the ATV-1 "Jules Verne" MAC mission is operated by NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. The cruise speed of the DC8 is about 480 miles per hour. Flying at about 39,000ft, it has the endurance to travel to the staging area, observe the entry, and return. [2011 DC8 Experimenters Handbook - 12 MByte]

Preliminary floorplan, verson 12/17 [click for detail]

Participants and instruments: Total number of researchers on the DC-8: 30. Communication with ATV control center in Toulouse, and coordination of navigation DC8: Hannes Fulge of IRS, on behalf of Holger Krag of ESA. Coordination for NASA Ames Research Center: Jay Grinstead. From front to back, the following instruments are envisioned (per 24 October 2014, with "*" indicating instruments previously flown):

*HDTV: Broadcast quality TV video for documentation

On optical window port 320, NASA Ames Research Center's videographers Bill Moede and Greg Merkes will obtain a general record of the reentry at medium/high resolution with a High Definition TV camera and a color low-light level camera for outreach purposes. These observations are coordinated with the ESA and NASA public affairs offices. The NASA Ames team will also operate an editing studio (t.b.d.) that displays the video from several key cameras on monitors to assist in navigation and collect material for a video news release.

CEFIR: Coronagraph for Explosion and Fragment Identification of Re-entering debris

On window port 440, Sven Weikert of ASTOS will deploy an 8-inch automatic tracking telescope that will observe the fragment generation and motion during and shortly after the main disruption at 57 frame-per-second. Specifically, this instrument is targeting the measurement of fragment velocities induced by the disruption. He will be assisted by tracking gimble operator Ferdinand Fahlbusch.

*HSIM: Intensified ultrahigh framerate imaging spectrograph for flare and wake spectroscopy
LDVS: Low Density Vapor Spectrograph for CO2 emisison from fuel

Behind a regular window (station 480), Prof. Hans Nielsen of the University of Alaska will deploy a low-resolution intensified high speed imaging spectrograph at 20,000 frames/s for measurement of fragment spinning rates and explosive events. The camera will be mounted on a tracking assembly of the Clay Center Observatory. This setup will also house an InSb spectrographic camera to detect CO2 emissions from hot low-density vapors in the 2.0 - 3.5 micron band. Hans Nielsen will be assisted by Geoff McHarg for tracking. Christopher Heale of Embry-Riddle will support the LDVS instrument.

*RED: Pair of Red Epic widefiled high-resolution fragment imaging cameras
*HDVS: Pair of High disperion spectrographs for fragment spectra and i.d.
*2POP: Two-band temperature measurement, identify hot fragments

On optical window port 560, Ron Dantowitz of the Clay Center Observatory at Dexter Southfield School will deploy a wide array of spectrographs and high-resolution imagers for the reentry. A co-aligned pair of Red Epic cameras (RED) will provide very high spatial resolution images. Mounted behind a 16-inch quartz window, two spectrographic cameras (HDVS) will provide optical spectroscopy at high resolution. This setup will also deploy a 2POP thermal imaging camera that measures the brightness of fragments in two bands. This instrument will be able to identify fragments made of other than aluminum materials, which become much hotter. Operations of the Red camera setup is in hand of Marek Kozubal of Clay Center Observatory and Forrest Gasdia, a former student of Clay Center Observatory, now at Embry-Riddle.

HDSS: High Disperison Staring Spectrograph

Behind a regular window (station 520), a gyroscopically-stabilized high resolution imaging spectrograph capturing the UV-VIS wavelength range. This camera will track the evolution and spectra of high-drag clouds of debris deposited in the atmosphere during explosive events.

NIRSJV: Wide angle Near Infrared spectrograph
SIRHEM: High Resolution Real-time Spectro-IMager of Meteors

On window port 600, Jeremie Vaubaillon (IMCCE), in a collaboration with Christophe Laux (Ecole Centrale Paris, Chatenay-Malabry, France), will depoy a wide field of view near infrared camera (NIRSJV) and a EMCCD camera (SIRHEM), both set up as spectrographs, in order to target fragments post disruption. The instruments will be operated, and ATV-5 tracked, by Auriane Egal and Min-Kyung Kwon of IMCCE.

*AUS: Slit-less UV spectroscopy

Also on window port 600, AUS, a slit-less UV spectrograph, will be operated by David Buttsworth of the university of Southern Qeensland.

OMIT: One-meter imaging telescope for flares
AHI: Anastigmatic Hyperspectral Imager

Set up on optical window on port 880, Ron Dantowitz also operates a One Meter Imaging Telescope (OMIT), which is a long focal length tracking telescope that will resolve meter-class details on the exploding spacecraft from hundreds of kilometers away. This setup will also house the Clay Center's anastigmatic hyperspectral imager (for near-IR spectra), and the collection optics of the SLIT spectrograph (see next item). This instrument will be operated by Jason McClure .

*SLIT: Slit-spectrograph for high-resolution spectroscopy

Light from an small telescope co-mounted with the OMIT instrument is fed by an optical fiber into a one-dimensional rack-mounted slit-based echelle spectrograph Tom Marynowski of IRS/University of Stuttgart will operate this SLIT instrument. Goal is to collect the light of ATV-5 into an optical fiber and feed a spectrograph to measure the near-UV emissions during breakup at high spectral resolution.

*FIPS: Fabry-Perot spectroscopy of atomic lines

Behind a regular window (station 980), Stefan Loehle of IRS/University of Stuttgart will operate an ultrahigh spectrograph designed to measure the doppler broadening of aluminum emissions. This will provide insight into the conditions of ablation during the main disruption. Loehle will have one assistant Fabian Zander of IRS/University of Stuttgart.

*ECHELLE: Early main body shock emissions leading to breakup
*INT: A pair of intensified cameras for timing synchronization

On port 1000L, Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center will deploy a miniature Echelle spectrograph, a slit-less instrument for measurements of air plasma emission lines and various paint signatures at highest possible spectral resolution in the visible range from 370 to 880 nm. He will be assisted by Mike Koop, a veteran of past observing campaigns, who will also operate a series of staring low-light cameras with gps time recording that provides an accurate time reference for other observers as well as astrometric and photometric data. On the HDSS platform is mounted an intensified staring camera that will be used for navigation, to help keep ATV-5 boresight as much as possible during entry. Also, a pair of intensified cameras on port 1000R will monitor the sky on the other side of the aircraft. Koop is the main Point Of Contact for the gps and timing requirements for all instruments.

*TERAS: High framerate imaging and low-res spectroscopy of explosvie event and fragments
*KAMELION: High framerate imager for small fragments in train

On port 1160, Christina Giannopapa of the Technical University Eindhoven will use a set of four high frame rate cameras for high resolution imaging of the early and late part of the trajectory, high resolution imaging of selected fragments at close range, and study fragmentation and explosive events, and spin rate. A second high framerate imager aimed at the smaller fragments in the tail will be operated on the regular window next to TERAS. Christina will be assisted by veteran airborne observer Sebastiaan de Vet of the University of Amsterdam and Bas van der Linden of the Technical University Eindhoven.

OHCAM: Shock interaction with OH airglow layer
*ALLSKY: Shock interaction with OH airglow layer zenith camera

On high 60 degree window port 1080, Prof. Jonathan Snively of ERAU, Florida, will operate a wideangle airglow imager in one of the high (60 degree) ports in an effort to try to use the airglow layer at 84 km altitude to measure the energy of the disruption events at high altitude. Long duration signals will be tracked with a second camera in the zenith allsky port. This camera will be operated by Jim Albers, who is also supporting the aircraft navigation.

RESPONDS: Re-Entry Spectral PHotographic Observations by NASA and Dexter Southfield

Also on port 1080, RESPONDS is a staring camera equipped with the same spectral grating and optics as is used for the staring camera onboard the ISS to facilitate direct comparisson to measure transmissivity of the ISS windows.

*NIRSPEC: Intensified imaging for small fragment tracking and Near-IR spectroscopy for fragment i.d.
NIRCAM: Staring Near-IR InGaAs camera for fragment tracking

On window port 1280, professor Mike Taylor of Utah State University at Logan will deploy a set of three co-aligned cameras, consisting of two intensified Xybion cameras with small 3x5 degree field of view for imaging the trajectories of small (faint) fragments and the final stages of larger fragments. The cameras will avoid the bright central part of the beakup, instead focussing on the outlaying areas above, below, and behind the main object. Rich star fields provide the astrometric reference frame needed for accurate astrometry. This data will detect more fragments from the initial breakup and follow fragments further along their path than other cameras, in order to measure fragment deceleration and size. A near-IR spectrograph will study air plasma emissions, while a backup staring near-IR camera will be on a neighbouring port. He will be assisted by Dominique Pautet.

*TWILITE: Tropospheric wind lidar
*DROPSONDES: Wind, pressure, tempreature and humidty profiler

In support of environmental data being collected during flight, Bruce M. Gentry of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate at Goddard Space Flight Center will operate a tropospheric wind lidar TWILITE and drop sondes to measure winds, pressure, temperature and humidity data from the altitude of the aircraft to the ground. This will help anchor global wind model data and wind data measured from the breakup recorders. Gentry will be assisted by Steve Mitchell.

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Instrument science objectives: Early detection of the ATV-5, the physics of early vehicle heating and trajectory reconstruction are objectives of ECHELLE (shock radiation, radiative heating), NIRCAM (low-temperature emissions, astrometry), LDVS (shock radiation, ablation), FIPS (Doppler line broading in the shock), and NIRSPEC (intensified broadband imaging, air plasma emissions and AlO band emissions).

The explosive event will be targeted by CEFIR (telescopic imaging of hig-velocity fragments, low-resolution spectroscopy), OMIT (telescopic imager), TERAS (high-framerate fragment generation and flares), HSIM (high framerate spectroscopy of fragments and spectroscopy of wakes), SLIT (high resolution spectroscopic signatures), and the OHCAM (energetics of the explosion from the impact of the shockwave on the OH airglow layer).

In the fragmentation phase, the fragment identification is addressed by HDVS (high resolution optical lines), LDVS (low resolution optical lines), HDSS (high resolution optical lines), SIRHEM (spectroscopy of small fragments in tail), AUS (near-UV lines), CAMELION (fragmentation in debris train), and 2POP (identification of hot fragments such as Ti).

Instrument mount and windows: The windows are made of optical glass, a single pane, of various materials, including Quartz, BK7, Pyrex, and sodalime. The window spectral transmission curves are known. There is AC (115 VAC) power, provided at the windows according to need. Eight horizon windows and one 60-degree window are available, as well as a zenith port and a window viewing behind. Several regular aircraft windows will be used as well. We plan to deploy more of the instrument mounting platforms developed by Ron Dantowitz for the Hayabusa mission. The camera will be pointed with a co-aligned low-light-level camera hooked to a video headset display with cross hairs that is worn by the operator. A curtain will cover the camera for shielding against in-cabin lights. All instruments are mounted in the aircraft for takeoff and landing and time calibrated.

Flight path: The aircraft will be positioned near the 72-km point, just downrange from the expected disruption at 75-88 km. This will offer a stable platform until after the disruption. The aircraft will then turn to keep the fragments in view of the researchers. The aircraft is capable of making a smooth 15-degree turn. ATV-5 and its fragments can be followed during descent for about 18 km in altitude before and after passing the position of the aircraft.

Flight path (schematic):

Aircraft communications: The aircraft has Iridium and INMARSAT telephones for communication with the ATV control center in Toulouse. Inside the aircraft, there are several intercom stations with a public address system. The aircraft provides Irig-B signal.