Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory | |
---|---|
White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in United States | |
Type | Military research laboratory |
Site information | |
Owner | Department of Defense |
Operator | U.S. Army |
Controlled by | Army Materiel Command |
Condition | Redeveloped as part of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory |
Site history | |
Built | 1965 |
The Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory (ASL) was a research institution under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in artillery meteorology, electro-optical climatology, atmospheric optics data, and atmospheric characterization from 1965 to 1992. [1] In 1992, ASL was disestablished, and the majority of its operations, personnel, and facilities were incorporated into the newly created U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL). [2]
The headquarters for the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory and the bulk of its research facilities were established in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Several of ASL’s research facilities were also established at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. ASL meteorological teams were stationed throughout North America at the following sites: Fort Hunter Liggett, California; Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; Fort Greely, Alaska; and the Panama Canal. [1] [3]
The history of the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory dates back to the creation of the Signal Corps Laboratories in 1929. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Signal Corps directed research on electronics, radar, and communication systems at Fort Monmouth and nearby satellite laboratories. [4] [5] After World War II, several of the laboratories merged to form the Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories (SCEL), which continued research into advancing various Army technologies. [6]
On April 2, 1946, SCEL deployed a team of ten men from Fort Monmouth with two modified SCR-584 vans to “A” station at White Sands Proving Ground (later renamed White Sands Missile Range) to perform tests on the captured German V-2 rockets. [7] From these tests, it became increasingly apparent after the war that atmospheric research was vital in predicting the behavior of missiles and where it would impact. On January 1, 1949, the Department of the Army established the SCEL Field Station No. 1 at Fort Bliss, Texas to aid the team at “A” station with signal support functions. [7] [8] [9] The unit at Fort Bliss conducted research in radar tracking and communication systems for the early missile programs at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), which then consisted of only 125 military and civilian personnel. [10]
In 1952, Field Station No. 1 was reorganized to form the White Sands Signal Corps Agency, a class II activity under the command of the Chief Signal Officer. [11] In 1954, the group expanded to form three teams, one at Yuma Proving Ground, one Dugway Proving Ground, and one at the Canal Zone in Panama. The organization was mainly tasked with conducting high altitude and upper atmosphere research using various rockets from the Nike-Cajun rocket to the Army tactical Loki rocket in 1957 and the Arcas rocket in 1958. [8] In the first ten months of 1958, the Agency provided communication-electronics support for the firing of more than 2,000 missiles. [12] Within two decades, the organization launched more than 8,000 rockets around the world, of which 5,000 were launched at the nearby White Sands Missile Range. In addition, the White Sands Signal Corps Agency saw a string of successes in multiple areas of weather research. In 1957, the researchers launched Loki II rockets into the air and tracked the drift of the metallic chaff that was released at designated altitudes using radar, obtaining new knowledge of high altitude winds in the process. Later that same year, the WSMR team saw the first successful firing of a rocket capable of being launched by a two-man team. [8] The Agency also perfected the Voice Operated Device for Automatic Transmission (VODAT), a device that made it possible for two-way radiotelephone conversations to occur on a single frequency. [12]
By 1959, the White Sands Signal Corps Agency had doubled in size and scope of operations and was redesignated as the U.S. Army Signal Missile Support Agency (SMSA). [12] SMSA was responsible for providing communication-electronic, meteorologic, and other support for the Army's missile and space program as well as conduct research and development in meteorology, electronic warfare, and missile vulnerability. [13] The agency developed the SOTIM (Sonic Observation of Trajectory and Impact of Missiles) System, which provided acoustic information on missiles upon re-entry and impact. These stations were installed at 16 different points at WSMR and were also equipped to measure wind speed, temperature, and humidity. SMSA also built meteorological rockets that could carry a 70-pound instrument package as high as 600,000 feet in order to obtain upper atmospheric data. [14] At the time, the meteorological activities at WSMR were under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Electronics Research and Development Activity (ERDA) as well as the Atmospheric Sciences Office, an organization under the operational control of SCEL at Fort Monmouth. [15]
In 1958, the U.S. Army redesignated SCEL as the U.S. Army Signal Research and Development Laboratory (USASRDL). [5]
In 1962, the U.S. Army disbanded the Technical Services, which included the Signal Corps, and reorganized its operations. The material development and procurement functions of the Signal Corps were transferred to the newly created Army Materiel Command (AMC), and the U.S. Army Electronics Command (ECOM) was created as a subordinate element of AMC to continue the Signal Corps' research and development endeavors. Assigned under ECOM, USASRDL was renamed as the U.S. Army Electronics Research and Development Laboratory but was soon renamed again to the U.S. Army Electronics Laboratories. During this time, SMSA also became consolidated as part of ERDA. [2] [16] [17] In 1964, ERDA researchers at WSMR became the first to observe upper atmosphere tidal waves. The group later launched the world's largest balloon holding atmospheric sensing equipment in 1968 and an even larger balloon that reached a record height of 164,000 feet in 1969. [8]
On June 1, 1965, ECOM ultimately made the decision to discontinue the operations of the U.S. Army Electronics Laboratories, which had adopted the duties of the Signal Corps Laboratories. The U.S. Army Electronics Laboratories was subsequently divided into six separate laboratories: the Electronic Components Laboratory (which later became the Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory), the Communications/ADP Laboratory, the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory, the Electronic Warfare Laboratory (part of which later became the Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory), the Avionics Laboratory, and the Combat Surveillance and Target Acquisition Laboratory. [4] This event marked the beginning of the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory and its role as a corporate laboratory for the Army. [8]
ASL was responsible for conducting meteorological research, developing meteorological equipment for the Army, and providing specialized meteorological support for various Army research and development efforts. [8] As a remnant of its days as part of the Signal Corps Laboratories, ASL headquarters was located at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, but the majority of its meteorological research activities took place at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico. Consequentially, researchers often had to travel back and forth between Fort Monmouth and WSMR until ASL established its headquarters in WSMR in 1969. [8] Shortly afterward, ASL assumed operational control of the meteorological efforts conducted at Fort Huachuca. [15] By 1974, the laboratory grew to a staff of more than 700 people with 90,000 square feet of meteorological operating facilities at WSMR, $30 million worth of equipment, and an annual budget of around $9 million. [8] In 1976, meteorological research conducted at the Ballistic Research Laboratory (then known as the Ballistic Research Laboratories) was consolidated into ASL, resulting in ASL making up approximately 95 percent of the total Army program in meteorology. [15]
In 1992, ASL was one of the seven Army laboratories that were consolidated to form the U.S. Army Research Laboratory as part of a $115 million project following the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 1988. Under ARL, ASL became part of the Battlefield Environment Directorate (BED). In 1995, the Atmospheric Analysis and Assessment team within BED moved to ARL's Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate (SLAD) while the rest of BED was folded into the Information Science and Technology Directorate (later called the Computational and Information Sciences Directorate) in 1996. [2]
The Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory sought to enhance Army capabilities and operation, such as artillery fire and chemical detection operations, under a broad range of meteorological conditions through the development of new technologies and techniques. Research within ASL consisted of six major areas: atmospheric sensing, microscale and mesoscale meteorology, meteorological satellites, atmospheric modification, physics and chemistry of the atmosphere, and meteorological equipment and techniques. [3]
Atmospheric sensing focuses on remote and continuous real-time surveillance of atmospheric parameters and the ability to obtain meteorological information at any time and place. ASL evaluated various sensors for this purpose, such as lasers, radars, radiometers, microwave radars, and acoustic systems. Research in the laboratory included studying atmospheric transmissivity, the effects of atmospheric particulates on laser propagation, and the use of LIDAR to determine the distribution, size, and composition of atmospheric particles. [3] ASL scientists also investigated how light behaves and responds when it interacts with different particles in the air. [18]
Microscale and mesoscale meteorology focus on understanding the small-scale atmospheric processes in the lower atmosphere. For ASL, the primary objective was to examine the properties of the lower atmosphere within the battlefield area. This task was performed by developing models that described mesoscale systems, boundary layer phenomena, and the effects of terrain on atmospheric structure. ASL researchers were especially interested in how terrain influenced the processes of atmospheric transport and diffusion. Studies in this area also coincided with research related to reducing air pollution. [3]
Meteorological satellites refer to advanced weather satellites and other technologies that allow researchers to collect real-time weather information for the battlefield area. ASL researchers developed methods to improve the monitoring of mesoscale phenomena and collect meteorological data in inaccessible areas. [3]
Atmospheric modification focuses on physical atmospheric processes that influence the behavior of clouds, fog, and rain. ASL researchers were keen on studying warm fogs and developed numerical models that described their life cycle. [3] Since fog significantly degrades the effectiveness of visible and infrared systems, ASL was interested in determining what kind of fog conditions hindered the fielding of different weapons systems that relied on electro-optical sensors. [19] Field studies were also conducted to analyze how helicopter downwash could disperse warm fogs. [3]
The physics and chemistry of the atmosphere refer to research on the chemical and dynamic processes that governed atmospheric structure and behavior. Many of ASL's studies in this realm focused on investigating the atmospheric effects on artillery and unguided rockets. Research was also conducted on the meteorological processes occurring in high-altitude regions. [3] In addition, ASL was involved in studying the effects of an eclipse on the upper atmosphere of the earth and the outer atmosphere of the sun. During the 1979 solar eclipse, ASL performed experiments with the National Research Council of Canada, the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory, and NASA to measure various atmospheric properties during the eclipse by launching 17 sounding rockets into the upper atmosphere. [20] [21]
One of ASL's main priorities was the development and evaluation of new meteorological equipment for the Army. Examples of technologies included new radiosondes, mobile hydrogen generators, fast-rise balloons, mobile weather radar, and portable automatic observing stations for collecting weather information in inaccessible areas. [3]
The Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory developed many sophisticated technologies as part of its mission. Examples include the following:
In addition, ASL participated in hundreds of projects, including the support of the following technologies:
A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The rockets are used to launch instruments from 48 to 145 km above the surface of the Earth, the altitude generally between weather balloons and satellites; the maximum altitude for balloons is about 40 km and the minimum for satellites is approximately 121 km. Certain sounding rockets have an apogee between 1,000 and 1,500 km, such as the Black Brant X and XII, which is the maximum apogee of their class. For certain purposes Sounding Rockets may be flown to altitudes as high as 3,000 kilometers to allow observing times of around 40 minutes to provide geophysical observations of the magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere and mesosphere. Sounding rockets have been used for the examination of atmospheric nuclear tests by revealing the passage of the shock wave through the atmosphere. In more recent times Sounding Rockets have been used for other nuclear weapons research. Sounding rockets often use military surplus rocket motors. NASA routinely flies the Terrier Mk 70 boosted Improved Orion, lifting 270–450-kg (600–1,000-pound) payloads into the exoatmospheric region between 97 and 201 km.
Project HARP, for high altitude research project, was a joint venture of the United States Department of Defense and Canada's Department of National Defence created with the goal of studying ballistics of re-entry vehicles and collecting upper atmospheric data for research. Unlike conventional space launching methods that rely on rockets, HARP instead used very large guns to fire projectiles into the atmosphere at extremely high speeds.
White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a United States Army military testing area and firing range located in the US state of New Mexico. The range was originally established in 1941 as the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range, where the Trinity test site lay at the northern end of the Range, in Socorro County near the towns of Carrizozo and San Antonio. It then became the White Sands Proving Ground on 9 July 1945.
The Aerojet General X-8 was an unguided, spin-stabilized sounding rocket designed to launch a 150 lb (68 kg) payload to 200,000 feet (61.0 km). The X-8 was a version of the prolific Aerobee rocket family.
The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army that creates and manages communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of Major Albert J. Myer, and had an important role in the American Civil War. Over its history, it had the initial responsibility for portfolios and new technologies that were eventually transferred to other U.S. government entities. Such responsibilities included military intelligence, weather forecasting, and aviation.
Camp Evans Historic District is an area of the Camp Evans Formerly Used Defense Site in Wall Township, New Jersey. The site of the military installation is noted for a 1914 transatlantic radio receiver and various World War II/Cold War laboratories of the United States Army. It was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2012, in recognition of the site's long role in the development of modern civilian and military electronic communications.
USS Desert Ship (LLS-1) is a concrete blockhouse providing assembly and launch facilities simulating shipboard conditions for Navy surface-to-air weapons testing at the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Weapons Division – White Sands.
The Harry Diamond Laboratories (HDL) was a research facility under the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and later the U.S. Army. It conducted research and development in electronic components and devices and was at one point the largest electronics research and development laboratory in the U.S. Army. HDL also acted as the Army’s lead laboratory in nuclear survivability studies and operated the Aurora Pulsed Radiation Simulator, the world’s largest full-threat gamma radiation simulator. In 1992, HDL was disestablished, and its mission, personnel, and facilities were incorporated into the newly created U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL). As part of this transition, the Army designated the HDL building as the site of ARL’s new headquarters.
The Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) is a Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) of the United States Army based at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, United States. It is one of four such commands under the Army Materiel Command (AMC), and is the Army's provider and maintainer of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) capabilities.
Signal Corps Laboratories (SCL) was formed on June 30, 1930, as part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Through the years, the SCL had a number of changes in name, but remained the operation providing research and development services for the Signal Corps.
Harold Adelbert Zahl was an American physicist who had a 35-year career with the U.S. Army Signal Corps Laboratories, where he served as the director of research at Fort Monmouth and made major contributions to radar development. He invented the GA-4 Transmitter-Receiver Tube and the VT-158, which became known as the Zahl tube.
William Richards Blair was an American scientist and United States Army officer, who worked on the development of the radar from the 1930s onward. He led the U.S. Army's Signal Corps Laboratories during its formative years and is often called the "Father of American Radar".
John William Marchetti was a radar pioneer who had an outstanding career combining government and industrial activities. He was born of immigrant parents in Boston, Massachusetts, and entered Columbia College and Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1925. In a six-year program combining liberal arts and engineering, he earned both A.B. and B.S. degrees, followed by the graduate E.E. degree in 1931. He was employed by New York Edison as a power engineer for several years, during which time he also participated in the U.S. Naval Reserve as an Ensign.
The Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL) was a research facility under the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps and later the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in ballistics as well as vulnerability and lethality analysis. Situated at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, BRL served as a major Army center for research and development in technologies related to weapon phenomena, armor, accelerator physics, and high-speed computing. In 1992, BRL was disestablished, and its mission, personnel, and facilities were incorporated into the newly created U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
The Chengdu University of Information Technology, formerly the Chengdu Meteorological College (成都气象学院), is a provincial public university in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The university is affiliated with the Province of Sichuan, and co-sponsored by the China Meteorological Administration and the Sichuan Provincial Government.
German V-2 rockets captured by the United States Army at the end of World War II were used as sounding rockets to carry scientific instruments into the Earth's upper atmosphere, and into sub-orbital space, at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) for a program of atmospheric and solar investigation through the late 1940s. Rocket trajectory was intended to carry the rocket about 100 miles (160 km) high and 30 miles (48 km) horizontally from WSMR Launch Complex 33. Impact velocity of returning rockets was reduced by inducing structural failure of the rocket airframe upon atmospheric re-entry. More durable recordings and instruments might be recovered from the rockets after ground impact, but telemetry was developed to transmit and record instrument readings during flight.
The Utah Launch Complex was a Cold War military subinstallation of White Sands Missile Range for USAF and US Army rocket launches. In addition to firing Pershing missiles, the complex launched Athena RTV missiles with subscale (test) warheads of the Advanced Ballistic Re-entry System to reentry speeds and impact at the New Mexico range. From 1964 to 1975 there were 244 Green River launches, including 141 Athena launches and 60 Pershing 1 and Pershing 1a launches to 281 kilometers altitude. "Utah State Route 19 runs through the Green River Launch Complex, which is south of the town and eponym of Green River."
The Local Rapid Evaluation of Atmospheric Conditions (L-REAC) System was a computerized weather sensor system designed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) that became operational in 2011.
The Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory (ETDL) was a research facility under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in developing and integrating critical electronic technologies, from high frequency devices to tactical power sources, into Army systems. Located at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, ETDL served as the U.S. Army’s central laboratory for electronics research from 1971 to 1992. In 1992, ETDL was disestablished, and the majority of its operations and personnel were incorporated into the newly created U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL).
The Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory (VAL) was a research institution under the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) that specialized in missile electronic warfare, vulnerability, and surveillance. It was responsible for assessing the vulnerability of Army weapons and electronic communication systems to hostile electronic warfare and coordinating missile electronic countermeasure efforts for the U.S. Army. VAL was one of the seven Army laboratories that merged to form the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in 1992.