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Title: Carbon Dioxide Observational Platform System (CO-OPS) feasibility study: Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6546137

The Carbon Dioxide Observational Platform System (CO-OPS) is a near-space, geo-stationary, multi-user, unmanned microwave powered monitoring platform system. It could potentially operate continuously for periods of up to 3 months in quasi-fixed position over regional targets of interest and could make horizon observations over a land-sea area of circular diameter up to about 600 to 800 statute miles. This affords the scientific and engineering community a low-cost means of operating their payloads for monitoring the regional parameters they deem relevant to their investigations and operations at one-tenth the cost of most currently utilized comparable remote sensing techniques. This systems engineering feasibility study addressed clearly identified existing requirements such as the: (1) carbon dioxide observational data requirements, (2) communications requirements, and (3) eye-in-the-sky requirements of other groups like the Defense Department, the Forestry Service, and the Coast Guard. In addition, potential applications in: (1) Earth System Science, (2) Space System Sciences, and (3) Test and Verification (Satellite Sensors and Data Management Techniques) were considered. This report summarizes an eleven-month effort on the part of Lockheed-Georgia Company and its subcontractors Raytheon, Ball Aerospace and Sundstrand, to study feasibility of CO-OPS. Past work and methods of gathering the required observational data were assessed and rough-order-of magnitude cost estimates have shown the CO-OPS system to be most cost-effective (less than $30 million dollars with a 10-year life-time). This study team also concluded that there are no technical, schedule or cost obstacles that would prevent achieving the objectives of the total 5-year CO-OPS program. 40 refs., 76 figs., 49 tabs.

Research Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, AL (USA). George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
DOE Contract Number:
AI05-82OR21004
OSTI ID:
6546137
Report Number(s):
NASA-CR-179225; ON: DE89005231
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English