SBIR-STTR Award

The "Glidersonde"is a UAV-deployed environmental sensor suite that is air-deployed and glides into denied or hazardous areas including volcanoes or nuclear emergency, wildland fire or HAZMAT release areas. It can either be released by hand or used with Yankee's commercial Automated Dropsonde Dispenser (ADD) which we tested in the Navy Twin Otter P256, and is and is currently undergoing integration with NASA's Global Hawk for a 2012 test. It measures local scattering, cloud optical depth, ground/sea surface temperatures, SOx, nuclear radiation, aerosol optical depth, as well as in-situ pressure/temperature/humidity/winds like a NCAR RD-94 dropsonde.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications:
(Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) This sonde will have the following applications:-Meteorological measurements in local conditions too dangerous to enter with an aircraftMeasurements of SO2, ash and temperatures (to the survival limit of the sonde) in Volcanos-Aerosol and radiation properties in areas affected by nuclear accidents, including the potential in this case for prolonged intermittent telemetry from the surface -Probing hurricanes with increased spatial resolution through critical domains (eye wall, etc) -Forest-fire response including PTU + Winds and surface radiation particularly measurements in complex, difficult to access terrain to capture smoke properties and surface temperatures-Targeted measurement of emission plumes from natural or anthropogenic sources

Potential NON-NASA Commercial Applications:
(Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) In addition to the above this sonde may also be used for balloon-lofted measurements where the Glidersonde's ability to return the payload to a specified landing will allow expensive measurement payloads to be recovered and reused. Yankee has built miniature balloon-borne dew-point hygrometers and has an interest in Ozone sondes, both needed for stratospheric measurement. These instruments are expensive and hence, rarely deployed. Reasonably-reliable recovery would greatly reduce the operating cost of more expensive on board sensors.

Technology Taxonomy Mapping:
(NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.) Aerodynamics Air Transportation & Safety Airship/Lighter-than-Air Craft Algorithms/Control Software & Systems (see also Autonomous Systems) Analytical Instruments (Solid, Liquid, Gas, Plasma, Energy; see also Sensors) Analytical Methods Antennas Attitude Determination & Control Autonomous Control (see also Control & Monitoring) Avionics (see also Control and Monitoring) Characterization Chemical/Environmental (see also Biological Health/Life Support) Circuits (including ICs; for specific applications, see e.g., Communications, Networking & Signal Transport; Control & Monitoring, Sensors) Command & Control Data Acquisition (see also Sensors) Data Fusion Electromagnetic Entry, Descent, & Landing (see also Astronautics) Entry, Descent, & Landing (see also Planetary Navigation, Tracking, & Telemetry) GPS/Radiometric (see also Sensors) Inertial Inertial (see also Sensors) Infrared Ionizing Radiation Lenses Long Maneuvering/Stationkeeping/Attitude Control Devices Manufacturing Methods Materials (Insulator, Semiconductor, Substrate) Microwave Multispectral/Hyperspectral Navigation & Guidance Polymers Positioning (Attitude Determination, Location X-Y-Z) Radio Radiometric Recovery (see also Vehicle Health Management) Relative Navigation (Interception, Docking, Formation Flying; see also Control & Monitoring; Planetary Navigation, Tracking, & Telemetry) Resource Extraction Sensor Nodes & Webs (see also Communications, Networking & Signal Transport) Smart/Multifunctional Materials Storage Telemetry (see also Control & Monitoring) Thermal Transmitters/Receivers