Suborbital Instruments and Sensor Systems

Subtopic Problem Statement/Description: NASA seeks suborbital in situ measurement capabilities that support Earth and planetary sciences with cross-cutting applications to spacecraft environments. These measurements support current and next generation satellite and model validation efforts, numerous airborne and ship-based field campaigns, and process studies that advance our scientific understanding of the Earth and planetary systems. In situ sensor systems (airborne, land, and water-based) can comprise stand-alone instrument and data packages; instrument systems configured for integration on in-water or ship-based platforms, NASA's Airborne Science Program aircraft fleet or commercial providers, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), balloons, ground networks; or end-to-end solutions providing needed data products from mated sensor and airborne/surface/subsurface platforms. An important goal is enabling measurement capabilities to support NASA's cross-cutting Earth and planetary science objectives, with infusion of new technologies and systems into current/future NASA research programs. Complete instrument systems are generally desired, including features such as remote/unattended operation and data acquisition, and minimum size, weight, and power consumption. All proposals must summarize the current state-of-the-art and demonstrate how the proposed sensor or sensor system represents a significant improvement.