Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER): Instrument and Science Measurement Description

Abstract

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).