Synopsizing 20 years of lidar research in 30 minutes or less

Having pursued lidar instrument development and research for over 20 years it is insightful to step back and examine the winding, twisting pathway that leads from lab research to aircraft instruments to spaceborne sensors. Examining how lessons learned along the way have led to each subsequent step can inform younger researchers and guide the way forward. In the NASA research community, a large part of success is not necessarily technical but a combination of approach, personal perspective, and demonstrated performance.

Multiple aircraft instruments over the past many years helped us define a path forward that resulted in the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) on the International Space Station (ISS) and, in all likelihood, points towards future SmallSat lidar sensors. Realistic budgetary constraints in Earth Science make innovation essential and make SmallSats attractive compared to the traditional monolithic spacecraft bus. SmallSats with low cost per satellite, hosted on ESPA ring launches can be a cost-effective solution for near-term Earth Science needs.

This presentation will cover (1) the pathway from lab to aircraft to space, with (2) specific lessons learned over many years of lidar research and development; and (3) the lessons learned from CATS on ISS that contribute to the path forward to more innovative spaceborne concepts.