ASHI - A Light-Weight All Sky Imager for Future NASA Heliospheric Missions

Completed TRL 7 (started at 7, targeting 7)

Description

We ask the basic science question: "What are the shapes and time histories of heliospheric structures in the plasma parameters: density and velocity?" To answer this question, we propose to build and test ASHI, an All-Sky Heliospheric Imager for NASA missions whose primary applicability is to view the inner heliosphere from deep space. The zodiacal-light photometers on the twin Helios spacecraft, the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) on the Coriolis satellite, and the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) on the Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft, all point the way towards optimum instruments for Thomson-scattering observations from space, and also for future low-light-level auroral remote-sensing. The specifications for such systems include viewing the whole sky starting beyond a few degrees of the Sun, and covering a hemisphere or more of sky. With an imager mass of about 2.5 kg per system (scalable to lower values for instruments viewing from closer than 1 AU), ten-minute exposures, 20 arc-second pointing, and low power consumption, this type of instrument has been a popular choice for recent NASA Mission concepts such as STEREO, Solar Orbiter, Solar Probe, and EASCO. A key photometric specification for such imagers is 0.1% differential photometry which enables the 3-D reconstruction of density starting from near the Sun and extending outward. A proven concept using SMEI analyses, ASHI will provide an order of magnitude better resolution in three dimensions over time. We will include velocity this concept, and for a heliospheric imager in deep space, provide a high-resolution comparison of in-situ density and velocity measurements obtained at the spacecraft, to structures observed remotely (Jackson et al., 2010, Solar Phys., 265, 257; Jackson et al., 2011, JASTP, 73, 1214).

Benefits

Support NASA's Heliophysics strategic science objectives to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This will be achieved by developing/demonstrating instrumentation technology necessary to address the following science goals: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system; Advance our understanding of the connections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system; Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Lasers
Program	Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science (H-TIDeS)
Lead organization	University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Start date	2017-02-01
End date	2020-01-01

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Bernard V Jackson
Andrew Buffington
Hsiu-shan Yu
Mario M Bisi
P. P Hick
Wilma Orantes

How to get involved

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.