Professor, student help test NASA satellite

Wed, July 5, 2006 |

A Valparaiso University professor is helping calibrate a new National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellite that will allow scientists to develop a much better understanding of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Dr. Gary Morris, associate professor of physics and astronomy, has received a $495,000 grant to test NASA’s Earth Observing System Aura satellite over the next three years. The Aura mission is researching the composition, chemistry and dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere, including changes in ozone levels, air quality and climate.

“The Aura mission will help scientists answer some of the most pressing questions we have about Earth’s atmosphere, such as changes in ozone concentration and climate,” said Dr. Morris, who began working on the project this summer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Before scientists can answer those questions, however, data collected from instruments aboard Aura, launched in July 2004, must be validated against data from other sources – including aircraft, balloon-borne and satellite observations – to ensure the satellite is making accurate measurements.

“The project we are working on will give scientists more confidence of the data collected by Aura,” Dr. Morris said.

Among the sources Dr. Morris is using to validate Aura data is information he collected during projects at Valparaiso University and Rice University for which he launched balloons – known as ozonesondes – from locations in Indiana and Texas to examine ozone pollution.

As part of this grant, a Valparaiso student will participate in research during each of the three summers the project is taking place.

This summer, Valparaiso sophomore Andrew Bender is involved in the testing of two instruments on Aura, the Microwave Limb Sounder (which measures gases in the atmosphere) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (which measures ozone, aerosols, air quality and surface ultraviolet radiation by monitoring ultraviolet light).

Bender, a computer engineering and physics major from Colgate, Wis., said he was attracted by the opportunity for experience in a research setting.

“Scientists are really just starting to use information gathered by Aura, so there’s a lot of interesting work to be done,” said Bender, who is considering a career in aeronautical engineering or astrophysics. “It’s a good learning opportunity to go into a situation where you’re doing experimental research and it brings the theory you’re learning about in the classroom down to Earth.”