LITE Lidar Vertical Profiles from STS-64 Mission

Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE) L1 data contain vertical profile measurements collected by a three-wavelength lidar aboard the space shuttle Discovery during the STS-64 mission in September 1994. NASA's LARC_ASDC processed the high-rate telemetry to create geolocated profiles of clouds, aerosols, and atmospheric properties. The dataset covers the mission period from September 9 to September 20, 1994.

Use Cases

• Analyze cloud height and structure using the interpolated lidar profiles on a 15 m vertical grid.
• Study aerosol concentration in the troposphere and stratosphere from backscatter data at 355 nm, 532 nm, and 1064 nm wavelengths.
• Map the planetary boundary layer height along the orbital flight path using location parameters and profile data.
• Correlate atmospheric temperature and density in the 25-40 km altitude range with derived NMC temperature and pressure profiles.
• Investigate surface properties over land and ocean from limited surface return strength measurements.

Strengths

• Three-wavelength lidar measurements provide multi-spectral backscatter data.
• Profiles interpolated to a common altitude grid with 15 m vertical resolution from -4.985 to 40.0 km.
• Includes merged parameters for time, location, operation mode, validity flags, and instrument status.

Limitations

• Data collection limited to a single 11-day mission in 1994.
• Contains gaps in coverage between 60 E and 85 E longitude due to TDRSS exclusion zone.
• Additional random gaps exist from telemetry dropouts during transmission.

Provenance

Source

NASA LARC_ASDC

Collection Method

High-rate telemetry data transmitted via TDRSS downlink, processed to correct instrument artifacts, subtract DC offsets, and interpolate to a geolocated grid.

Time Range

September 9 to September 20, 1994

Freshness

1994-09-19

Geography

Global coverage along the STS-64 orbital flight path, with a longitudinal gap between 60 E and 85 E.