1. Coordinated Global Measurements of TLE from the Space Shuttle and Ground Stations during MEIDEX Yoav Yair 1, Colin Price, Zev Levin, Peter Israelevitch, Adam Devir Baruch Ziv 1 Joachim Joseph, Yuri Mekler, Meir Moalem Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel 1 Also with: The Open University of Israel, Tel-Aviv, Israel Upper End Plate w/ Quartz Window Gimbal Motor & Worm Drive Worm Gear SEKAI WFOV Camera Lower End Plate Lens & Baffle Xebion Camera Avionics Mount Plate and electronics Overall MEIDEX configuration E-field response in Israel to sprites in the US. The positive initial field implies positive lightning flashes caused these sprites VLF and ELF Antennas, Negev Desert, Israel Dynamic Spectrum of VLF signal in Israel caused by a sprite observed in the US (horizontal lines are VLF navigational transmitters) Time (seconds) 0 10.5 Frequency (kHz) 12.5 0 Field of View for Sprite Observations The Xybion IMC-201 camera has a rectangular FOV - 14.04(H) x 10.76 (V) degrees. This translates to a volume of 466 km (H) x 358 km (V) at the Earth’s limb, which is 1900km away from the shuttle. The spatial resolution is 665m (H) x 745m (V) per pixel. The Sekai LL-Video color camera will be used to look for major thunderstorm centers. The FOV covers 2200 km of the horizon. STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102 Launch Date: June 27th, 2002 Altitude: 150 NM, Duration: 16 Days, Crew: 7 Astronauts (double shift) Main Regions of Interest: South-East Asia and Japan, Australia, South and North America, Central Africa Payload 5 cubic feet canister + coated quartz window Xybion IMC- 201 radiometric CCD camera CCD Sensor: 756Hx581V, Sensitivity - 10 -6 fc 6 narrow-band filters - Spectral range: 340-860nm Exposure Times: 50 nsec - 4 msec Wide FOV (50 degrees) - Sekai Color video camera 3 Digital Sekai VCRs for in-payload recording During the Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX) Earth-limb observations pointed above thunderstorms will be performed to record the optical emissions from TLEs (Transient Luminous Events - Sprites, ELVEs and Blue Jets). The 39 degrees inclination shuttle orbit covers the major lightning generating regions on Earth, increasing the probability of success in capturing these elusive discharges. Optical observations from space Primarily with the 665nm filter that matches the observed wide peak centered at 670nm, which typifies red sprites and with the 380 and 470nm filters to record blue jets. Observational runs would consist of continuous recording of the Earth’s limb from the direction of the dusk terminator flying towards the night side, preferably before midnight local time at the observed area. Thunderstorm activity predictions, based on Forecast Models will be uplinked daily to the shuttle, 24 hours prior to the observation. The astronaut will have the ability to direct the camera toward areas of high lightning activity. Ground Campaign During the 16-day flight, two field sites in the Negev Desert in Israel will be used to collect data related to sprite activity in the ELF and VLF frequency range. Additional ground stations in the USA, Brazil, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Taiwan, Antarctica will record and measure lightning and sprite activity. MEIDEX is conducted under an agreement between NASA and ISA (Israeli Space Agency) MEIDEX Emission Filternm Lines 380: 380.5 N2(2P) O-2 470: 470.9 N2+(1N) 2-O 555: 557.7 O(I) Airglow 665: 662.4 N2(1P)6-3 860: 857.4 N2(1P) 8-8 http://www.tau.ac.il/geophysics/MEIDEX/home.htm Sprite Forecasts In order to observe sprites from space and to photograph them effectively, the astronauts need to have in advance information concerning the location intensity of MCCs and tropical convection centers. Significant Weather Maps produced by aviation centers will be used during the mission. They will be derived subjectively by trained forecasters, based on satellite images and forecasted maps from the available models. Special attention will be directed to areas colder than -70 C, shown to be correlated with sprite occurrence.