Strategic High Altitude Infrared Backgrounds

Abstract : The purpose of this contract was to "...provide models and codes to predict infrared background phenomenon to be encountered by advanced space based systems operating in natural and disturbed backgrounds." The three specific tasks of the contact were: (1) analysis data from the Mid Course Space Experiment (MSX), (2) development of advanced radiance inversion techniques, and (3) enhancement of the radiative transfer program FASCODE Environment (FASE). Under (1), AER developed experiment plans and detailed data collection event parameters for MSX to obtain vertical profiles of radiance and trace gases in the stratosphere. In addition, AER analyzed data from meteorological satellites coincident with MSX measurements and correlated these data with the MSX data. In (2), AER collaborated with PL/GPOS to analyze radiance data from CIRRIS-II. by enhancing and applying the fast radiative transfer code XFWD and the inversion INV. In (3), AER continued the development of the atmospheric radiative transfer code FASCODE. The new code is called FASE, for FASCODE for the Environment.