SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry)
is a 10-channel infrared radiometer that is one of four instruments on
the NASA TIMED (Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and
Dynamics) satellite mission to study the structure, energetics,
chemistry, and dynamics of the Earth’s mesosphere and lower
thermosphere. The TIMED spacecraft was launched into a 625 km circular
polar orbit (74.1º inclination) via a Boeing Delta II rocket from
Vandenberg Air Force Base on 7 December 2001. SABER continues to operate
nominally and collect data routinely as it has for over 21 years. Over
2,200 peer-reviewed journal articles have been published worldwide using
SABER data. A list of these articles is included in the Supporting
Information accompanying this paper. The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL)
of Utah State University designed, fabricated, and calibrated the SABER
instrument in close collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center,
Hampton University, and Global Atmospheric Technologies and Science
(GATS). This paper provides a detailed technical description of the
SABER instrument, including performance specifications and observed
instrument performance.
SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry)
is a 10-channel infrared radiometer that is one of four instruments on
the NASA TIMED (Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and
Dynamics) satellite mission to study the structure, energetics,
chemistry, and dynamics of the Earth’s mesosphere and lower
thermosphere. The TIMED spacecraft was launched into a 625 km circular
polar orbit (74.1º inclination) via a Boeing Delta II rocket from
Vandenberg Air Force Base on 7 December 2001. SABER continues to operate
nominally and collect data routinely as it has for over 21 years. Over
2,200 peer-reviewed journal articles have been published worldwide using
SABER data. A list of these articles is included in the Supporting
Information accompanying this paper. This paper presents a detailed
technical description of the SABER instrument including major subsystems
of the instrument and technical performance parameters. This paper
comprehensively describes the instrument and its components and provides
final instrument design and performance parameters. The motivation for
this paper is to document this information permanently for future
reference. The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) of Utah State University
designed, fabricated, and calibrated the SABER instrument in close
collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton University, and
Global Atmospheric Technologies and Science (GATS).
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