SAGE III Measurements from ISS

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III), an instrument built as part of the Earth Observing System, is an existing grating spectrometer instrument that measures near-UV/visible/near-IR energy through the Earth's limb during solar and lunar occultation and, during the daytime side of the orbit, limb scattering. In 2009, the SAGE-III instrument was removed from storage and successfully passed initial aliveness and functional tests. The President's FY 2011 budget provides an opportunity to refurbish and recalibrate SAGE III for possible flight on the ISS by late CY 2013/early 2014. Observing from the International Space Station (ISS) SAGE III will provide near-global, long-term measurements of key components of the Earth's atmosphere important to climate and chemical processes. The most important of these key measurements are the vertical distribution of aerosols from the upper troposphere through the stratosphere, and ozone from the upper troposphere through the mesosphere. In addition, SAGE III will provide high vertical resolution profile measurements of trace gases such as water vapor and nitrogen dioxide. In FY 2011, NASA will complete accommodation studies for the instrument on the ISS.