NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Summary Carol Johnson NIST

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Technological Improvements New Buoy Design –Solar panels, power on mooring buoy Reduces weight/size of optical buoy –Smaller, lighter optical buoy can be deployed from a much smaller vessel Go from $22K/day to $2K/day ship costs Applicable for coastal environments –Updated communications systems More capabilities to monitor/download data/change configurations/trouble shoot remotely

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Technological Improvements Evaluating new spectrograph design –Based on Volume Holographic Gratings Simple design, f/1.8 Better imaging, thus more inputs Multi-track fiber input –Enables simultaneous observations, reduce environmental noise –Reduce/eliminate self-shading effects (multi-arms) Apogee Camera Systems –Ethernet-compatible (stable communication) –Extensive experience in oceanographic instruments –Simple power supply, no external cards/control cards

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Technological Improvements New calibration sources –More flux in the UV (better s/n & stability) –Better spectral match to measurement Reduce sources of systematic error New Hyperspectral Source Monitors for laboratory calibration –Complete spectral monitoring of source distribution, improved endpoint calibrations

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Technological Improvements UV-LED-Based anti-bio-fouling –265 nm LEDs, optimized for breaking DNA bonds –Better anti-fouling means longer deployments/fewer diver cleanings, reduced operational costs Internal & external in-situ calibration sources –Better monitoring of responsivity in situ –Better tracking of responsivity changes Lower overall uncertainty Contributes to longer deployments

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Current status of R&O Buoy Primary Equipment Tether evaluated –Discussed earlier, first attempt failed-future plan to address this Spectrographs and cameras on-order –Delivery date August - September

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 R&O Buoy Ancillary Components Anti-fouling LEDs in house –Field-test planned in Mill Creek, Fall 2006 New calibration source development –LED source prototype tested Revised source under development Rev.2 should be ready this fall for evaluation testing –Detector-based source standard under development Prototype ready for preliminary testing this fall

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 AHAB Milestones MIFS breadboard evaluation by 4/07 MIFS prototype final by 12/07 MIFS production delivery 5/08 AHAB mooring delivery 6/08 AHAB test deployments start 8/08 AHAB/MOBY crossover 3/09 to 2/10 MOBY decommissioned 3/10 AHAB operational starting 3/10

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Schedule GOES-R –2012 launch (GOES-E or GOES-W?) –GOES-E Site established 2010 Manned with buoy 2011 (1 year in place prior to launch) –GOES-W Site Established 2015 Manned with buoy 2014

NOAA Research and Operations Marine Optical Buoy Design Review July 18-19, 2006 Funding ROSES2006: Proposal submitted for building new AHAB system and covering operational shortfall NOAA: committed to significant help towards MOBY operations Future: starting in FY09 NIST/NOAA initiative so NOAA should be picking up AHAB operations.