Abstract

NASA has undertaken an aggressive effort to develop the first fully autonomous airborne DIAL, DIfferential Absorption Lidar, instrument. The LASE, Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment, will be deployed on NASA's ER-2 aircraft at altitudes of 52,000 to 70,000 feet. The science objective is to measure tropospheric H₂O and aerosols in phase I and adds O₂ for pressure and temperature determination in phase II. The major subsystems of the instrument including the telescope receiver, control and data system, and the laser transmitter are being constructed and tested at Langley Research Center. This paper describes the LASE laser transmitter's requirements, designs, development, and testing.

© 1993 Optical Society of America