Abstract

The High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is triple étalon Fabry-Perot interferometer intended to observe the winds in both the stratosphere and mesosphere of the earth's atmosphere. This instrument was successfully launched on the UARS spacecraft in September of 1991 and is operating without problems at this time. Calibrations indicate that the interferometer is in nearly identical condition to that during its fin alca libration in the laboratory at the University of Michigan. Results from the observations in space are of the wind systems in the mesosphere and lower stratosphere. The quality of these wind measurements depends upon factors that must be determined after the interferometer is in orbit as well as on pre-launch calibrations. This paper will discuss the design of the instrument and the process by which the HRDI science team has calibrated and then validated this instrument.

© 1993 Optical Society of America