Ocean Optics Jaz at Mount Everest
June 2009
Catch a webcast featuring Scott Parazynski and Keith Cowing at
Mount Everest, using the Ocean Optics Jaz for UV Light analysis.
ALICE Finally Sent ‘To The Moon’
June 2009
Ocean Optics Spectrometer launched on NASA LCROSS Mission
Dunedin, FL (June 19, 2009) – A custom-engineered spectrometer from Ocean Optics, part of the scientific payload on NASA’s Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, was successfully launched into space Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. “ALICE,” as the spectrometer is affectionately known, was drafted for the mission to help analyze the makeup of the lunar craters, with the goal of locating water below the moon’s surface.
The Centaur rocket carrying LCROSS is expected to reach the moon next week and the two will remained coupled for the next four months-until the next exciting phase in the mission, scheduled for October 9, 2009. The units will then separate, sending the rocket crashing into the moon at more than twice the speed of a bullet. After the rocket impact, expected to generate a 2.2 million-pound plume of matter, another spacecraft carrying ALICE will fly through, looking for signs of water and other compounds.
In partnership with Aurora Design & Technology (www.AuroraDesignTech.com), whose work included development of the reflectance viewing optics for the mission, Ocean Optics adapted its highly-sensitive QE65000 Spectrometer to survive the harsh conditions of this mission – extreme temperature ranges and radiation, as well as significant shock and vibration.
ALICE will measure the reflectivity of the ejecta cloud as it rises into the sunlight, enabling scientists to distinguish between water vapor, water ice, and hydrated minerals (such as salts or clays) with molecularly bound water. With a wavelength range of 270-650 nm and an optical resolution of less than 1.0 nm, ALICE will be able to identify, with a high degree of accuracy, ionized water (visible at 619 nm), OH radicals (visible at 308 nm) and other organic molecules containing carbon. Though the measurements are to be taken from the dark region of the moon where light is scarce, the unit’s back-thinned detector makes the most of the light available.
Water hidden deep in the moon’s craters could mean drinking water or even the ability to break down the hydrogen and oxygen molecules into rocket fuel, laying the foundation for the moon as a staging point for further space exploration. The progress of ALICE and LCROSS can be tracked on the mission’s website, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/index.html.
This is the second NASA collaboration for Ocean Optics. A unit designed around the company’s HR-Series spectrometers will be part of the 2009 ChemCam Mars mission to study rock and soil composition on the red planet.
Ocean Optics Jaz Spectrometer Tops Mount Everest
June 2009
Sensing suite used in UV measurement experiments on Earth’s highest mountain
Dunedin, FL (June 9, 2009) – Ocean Optics (www.oceanoptics.com), the industry leader in miniature spectroscopy, recently provided a Jaz Modular Sensing Suite to the trek crew of Return to Everest 2009 – a crew including Keith Cowing, Miles O’Brien, NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski, and others – to measure solar irradiance at extreme altitude.
Jaz was utilized to determine UV intensity levels in the Everest region where levels are typically extremely high. The handheld Jaz unit that accompanied the Back to Everest 2009 group included solar irradiance scripting language, an SD card for storage of spectra and Jaz’s lithium-ion battery.
The participants used Jaz to measure solar irradiance with a focus on UV levels at an extreme altitude. It is suggested that UV levels on Everest should be among the highest on Earth and Jaz was used to perform analysis of the nature of the sunlight during the experiment phase of the summit. The amazing expedition was completed successfully on Monday, May 25.
Jaz performs in a number of challenging applications-its compact, handheld design makes it ideal for fieldwork, even in challenging environments like the world’s highest mountain. Its portability was especially important for the Everest expedition as equipment had to be packed in by the climbers during the arduous ascent. The unit is also flexible enough to be configured with multiple spectrometer channels for process management, quality control and life sciences applications as well.
Jaz’s family of stackable, modular and autonomous components share common electronics and communications. Included in the Jaz stack is a CCD-array spectrometer that can be optimized for a variety of radiometric measurements and a microprocessor with onboard display. Unlike traditional light meters, Jaz allows users to capture, process and store full spectra without the need for a PC. Spectral data can be transferred to a laptop or desktop PC for additional post-acquisition processing, such as calculating color temperature, spectral intensity and color space values.
To learn more about Jaz visit www.oceanoptics.com/products/jaz.asp or contact Ocean Optics at +1 727-733-2447 for additional information.
