Nehrir et al. (2026) Enabling Technologies for Cross-Cutting Airborne and Spaceborne Water Vapor and Methane DIAL

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-09
• Authors: Amin R. Nehrir, A. Notari, David Harper, Rory A. Barton-Grimley, Charles Antill, Nathan Dostart, Fran Fitzpatrick, Patrick Burns, Jes Sherman, Manoj Kanskar, W D Welch, Xiaoli Sun, James Collins, Brian Collister, Joe Lee, Ewan Crosbie, John Hair
• DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/202636201008/pdf

Research Groups

NASA Langley Research Center

Short Summary

NASA Langley Research Center developed the High-Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) system, an airborne water vapor and methane DIAL and HSRL, to address atmospheric observational needs and serve as a technology testbed for future space-based DIAL missions, demonstrating its architecture and measurements.

Objective

• To develop and demonstrate the High-Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) system for airborne water vapor and methane measurements.
• To serve as a technology testbed for maturing and demonstrating requisite technologies needed to enable future space-based water vapor and methane Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) missions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: High-altitude (airborne platform), with implications for future space-based atmospheric observations. Focus on atmospheric composition.
• Temporal Scale: Not explicitly stated, but implies campaign-based or continuous measurements for technology demonstration and atmospheric monitoring.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not applicable; the paper describes an instrument development and demonstration.
• Data sources: High-Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) system measurements (water vapor and methane Differential Absorption Lidar and High Spectral Resolution Lidar).

Main Results

• The High-Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) airborne architecture and its enabling technologies have been developed and demonstrated.
• Representative airborne water vapor and methane measurements were obtained using the HALO system.
• Technologies adapted from HALO are being advanced to enable a cross-cutting water vapor and methane DIAL space-based mission through the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Lidar Pathfinder (ABLE) project.

Contributions

• Development of a novel high-altitude airborne lidar system (HALO) capable of simultaneous water vapor and methane measurements.
• Advancement of critical lidar technologies for future space-based atmospheric composition missions.
• Establishment of HALO as a technology testbed to mature and demonstrate technologies for space-based DIAL missions, specifically contributing to the ABLE project.

Funding

• Atmospheric Boundary Layer Lidar Pathfinder (ABLE) project (for advancing space-based mission technologies).

Citation

@article{Nehrir2026Enabling,
  author = {Nehrir, Amin R. and Notari, A. and Harper, David and Barton-Grimley, Rory A. and Antill, Charles and Dostart, Nathan and Fitzpatrick, Fran and Burns, Patrick and Sherman, Jes and Kanskar, Manoj and Welch, W D and Sun, Xiaoli and Collins, James and Collister, Brian and Lee, Joe and Crosbie, Ewan and Hair, John},
  title = {Enabling Technologies for Cross-Cutting Airborne and Spaceborne Water Vapor and Methane DIAL},
  journal = {Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1051/epjconf/202636201008/pdf},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202636201008/pdf}
}