Satellite and retroreflector atmospheric spectroscopy system
AssigneeApplied Minds, LLC
InventorsW. Daniel Hillis, Bran Ferren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for obtaining atmospheric spectroscopy measurements from an observation platform using retroreflectors is disclosed. The observation platform is located above the surface of a planetary body, and at least one retroreflector is located on the surface of the planetary body. Electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source that is incident upon the retroreflector is reflected to a spectrometer located on the observation platform. By analyzing the received radiation, the spectrometer obtains atmospheric spectroscopy measurements for the atmospheric region through which the incident and reflected radiation pass.
Claims24
An atmospheric spectroscopy system, comprising:
- an observation platform located above a surface of a planetary body;
- at least one retroreflector located on said surface;
- a radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation along an incident pathway towards said retroreflector, said retroreflector reflecting at least a portion of said electromagnetic radiation along a reflected pathway, said incident and said reflected pathways collectively defining a measurement pathway that passes through an atmospheric region of said planetary body;
- and
- a spectrometer located on said observation platform for analyzing electromagnetic radiation received at said spectrometer from said retroreflector to provide an atmospheric spectroscopy measurement for said atmospheric region.
An atmospheric spectroscopy system, comprising:
- an observation location relative to a surface of a planetary body;
- at least one retroreflector spaced from said observation location, wherein one of said observation location and said retroreflector is positioned at said planetary body surface;
- a radiation source located at said observation location for emitting electromagnetic radiation along an incident pathway towards said retroreflector, said retroreflector reflecting at least a portion of said electromagnetic radiation toward said radiation source along a reflected pathway, said incident and said reflected pathways collectively defining a measurement pathway that passes through an atmospheric region of said planetary body;
- and
- a spectrometer located at said observation location for analyzing radiation received at said spectrometer from said retroreflector to provide an atmospheric spectroscopy measurement for said atmospheric region.
An atmospheric spectroscopy method, comprising the steps of:
- locating an observation platform above a surface of a planetary body;
- locating at least one retroreflector on said surface;
- emitting electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source along an incident pathway towards said retroreflector, said retroreflector reflecting at least a portion of said electromagnetic radiation toward said radiation source along a reflected pathway, said incident and said reflected pathways collectively defining a measurement pathway that passes through an atmospheric region of said planetary body;
- and
- locating a spectrometer on said observation platform for analyzing electromagnetic radiation received at said spectrometer from said retroreflector to provide an atmospheric spectroscopy measurement for said atmospheric region.
An atmospheric spectroscopy method, comprising the steps of:
- providing an observation location relative to a surface of a planetary body;
- providing at least one retroreflector spaced from said observation location, wherein one of said observation location and said retroreflector is positioned at said planetary body surface;
- locating a radiation source at said observation location for emitting electromagnetic radiation along an incident pathway towards said retroreflector, said retroreflector reflecting at least a portion of said electromagnetic radiation toward said radiation source along a reflected pathway, said incident and said reflected pathways collectively defining a measurement pathway that passes through an atmospheric region of said planetary body;
- and
- locating a spectrometer at said observation location for analyzing radiation received at said spectrometer from said retroreflector to provide an atmospheric spectroscopy measurement for said atmospheric region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.