1. SCS
Siderostat
Our siderostat is a
periscope-like light
collection system
with two
slanted mirrors
and a two-degree
field of view. Jeff
Percival (UW)
wrote the siderostat control software
while the hardware was in Madison, but
adjustments are being made by student
researchers at ERAU as the system is
tested in Daytona Beach, FL.
Below: Kurt and Maggie
with Siderostat, Dec 2015
INSpIRe
INVESTIGATING NEAR SPACE INTERACTION REGIONS
The INSpIRe effort is being led by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with
collaboration from researchers at NASA GSFC and the University of Wisconsin-
Madison. The objectives of INSpIRe are to
1. Establish an adaptable research station capable of
contributing to many areas of terrestrial and planetary aeronomy
2. Integrate two state-of-the-art second generation Fabry-Perot annular
summing spectrometers into a remotely operable configuration
3. Deploy this instrumentation to a clear-air site,
establishing a stable, well-calibrated observing platform
4. Embark on a series of observations specifically designed to
contribute to three major areas of geocoronal research, i.e., geocoronal
physics, structure/coupling, and variability
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to the NASA Lunar Exospheric Program (WBS811073.02.03.04.08) for funding my work two summers in a row
and taking care of my travel expenses – the experiences I’ve had and connections I’ve made at Kitt Peak National
Observatory, NASA GSFC, and the University of Wisconsin have been invaluable and highly enjoyable.
In addition, thanks to Ben Pyke from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, George Gatling from the Naval Research Lab,
the National Solar Observatory & Kitt Peak National Observatory, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
and CRESST at NASA GSFC. INSpIRe is funded by the National Science Foundation through NSF-CAREER award
AGS1352311 and NSF-CEDAR award AGS1347687.
INSPIRATION
The Wisconsin H-α Mapper has a Fabry-Perot at its core
and runs remotely in Chile. Its target is our Galaxy’s Warm
Interstellar Medium (observed through hydrogen Balmer-
alpha recombination emission).
TESTING
Testing of the observatory prototype will be done at
ERAU where simulated remote observations can be
monitored closely and problems can be diagnosed and
fixed quickly.
DEVELOPMENT
• Construction began at Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach,
FL in 2014
• Trailer structure, clamshell dome, and
mirror assembly installed by students and
faculty from ERAU and NASA
• UW Siderostat installed in Dec 2015
• Remote accessibility, Fabry-Perot system,
and SHS to be installed Fall 2016
CONCEPT
INSpIRe, conceived in 2013, is designed to allow remote
observations of targets that are closer to home: the Earth
and other planetary bodies’ exospheres. Funding acquired
through the National Science Foundation and Embry-
Riddle.
Kitt Peak National
Observatory
INSpIRe will move to its final location which is yet to be
determined. One possibility is Kitt Peak National
Observatory for its better observing conditions, well-
established facilities, and ERAU’s connections to the
Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy
OBSERVING
Investigating Near Space Interaction Regions
Margaret A. Gallant1, Ronald J. Oliversen2 , Edwin J. Mierkiewicz1, Jeffrey W. Percival3, Kurt P. Jaehnig3
1Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Physical Sciences Department, Daytona Beach, FL
2 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory, Greenbelt, MD
3University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Astronomy Laboratory, Madison, WI The INSpIRe Trailer
INSpIRe
Systems Block
Diagram
Camera Control
STF -
8300M
Data collection, guiding, weather monitoring, and safety monitoring are all
dependent on camera control. Below is my LabVIEW GUI built for the STF-
8300M at NASA GSFC in Summer 2015, to be used as a either a guide camera or
a data collection CCD.
SCS  ESS
Environment Monitoring
ERICS
Dome Control
ERICS
Pressure Control
The ESS is a compilation of
temperature, humidity, wind, and
pressure sensors. This summer, I
programmed this system to
record values at regular intervals.
I utilized Python to plot the
recorded values and send an
automatic email of the plots at
midnight each night. Since
implementation, the daily
summary feature has brought
some sensor calibration issues to
light, shown to the right.
Our Fabry-Perot Spectrometers use two independently-controlled
pressurized gas chambers to tune to a specific wavelength. During a normal
observing run, the user would set the first chamber to a constant value and
change the second chamber as needed to tune the instrument. My GUI
includes controls for changing pressures and indicators to show the current
and target pressure, as well as the chambers’ temperatures.
The clamshell-type AstroHaven dome has
built-in commands for opening and closing
one half of the dome at a time. My
LabVIEW GUI uses feedback loops to open
and close the dome and reads out a status
indicator on a regular basis.
Left: PCS LabVIEW GUI; Right: PCS Rack and Nitrogen gas tank
Integrated Monitoring
Although many of these subsystems’ GUIs
have been successfully implemented in
isolated cases, they eventually need to be
integrated so that they can work together. Two
eventual goals related to monitoring are
1. Record values from multiple subsystems
in the daily log (regular readouts)
2. Record values from multiple subsystems
in the FITS Header (triggered readouts)
Future Work & Installations
• Adjust ESS sensor calibrations
• Work with Embry-Riddle IT to provide flexible VPN connection to the observatory
• Collect data with REDDI (a remotely operable, but separate SHS system)
• Install ERICS and route existing subsystems through ERICS to Control CPU
• Incorporate any new ERICS subsystems into software control
• Install PCS and integrate PCS software control into Control CPU
• Install FP1, FP2, and SHS
• Operate FP1, FP2, and SHS remotely at ERAU
• Move to a dark clear-air site
• Collect data remotely
By using global variable clusters, I have been able to populate a log of values from
both the SCS and ESS (and send out daily summary plots). Additionally, I have shown
that triggered readouts can be used to populate a FITS file header with extra FITS
keywords (not simply from the camera) upon taking an image with a CCD.
Optical
Layout
Remote users will access the
control room computer via VPN and
must be able to easily and
confidently control and monitor
• Dome Operations
• Siderostat Pointing
• Guide camera
• Weather and environmental
sensors
• Mechanical/Optical Hardware
• Instrument calibration
• Instrument data collection
Geocoronal Hydrogen
Important and complex chemical and dynamical processes take place in the
exosphere, where the terrestrial atmosphere literally merges with interplanetary
space. The vertical distribution of atomic hydrogen in the upper atmosphere and its
vertical transport flux are important parameters in understanding upper atmospheric
chemistry, charge exchange between the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere, and
coupling between atmospheric regions. Unfortunately, a lack of direct determinations
of these parameters leaves important questions incompletely answered:
• What is the distribution of atomic hydrogen in the thermosphere and exosphere?
• How does that distribution respond to external forcing?
• Is the upward flux of hydrogen from the mesosphere constant or
variable?
• What are the exospheric particle populations and velocity
distributions (satellite, ballistic and escaping components)?
Initiative INSpIRe will provide key information to address the
questions above. Furthermore, the unique capabilities of
the Fabry-Perot and Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometers
assembled as part of initiative INSpIRe afford
opportunities to extend aeronomical research into
the related field of planetary aeronomy.
Providing Remote Access
to Three Wide-Field, High-
Spectral Spectrometers