Title: CORSAIR: Calibrated Observations of Radiance Spectra from the Atmosphere in the far-Infrared
Author: Marty Mlynczak
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center
Co-Authors: Richard Cageao, Nurul Abedin, Harri Latvakoski, Michael Gritz, David Jordan, Joe Walker, Irene Pang

Abstract:
The CORSAIR project is sponsored by the Instrument Incubator Program of the NASA Earth Science Technology Office. The objective of CORSAIR is to develop and demonstrate advanced technologies to facilitate the measurement of infrared radiance spectra at high absolute accuracy for the purposes of diagnosing climate change. The specific technologies under development by the CORSAIR project are antenna coupled detector devices specifically for measuring the far-infrared portion of the spectrum; high emissivity blackbodies for instrument calibration; and broad bandpass beamsplitters to enable measurement of the entire energetically significant portion of the infrared spectrum on a single detector with a Fourier transform spectrometer. Now in its third year, the CORSAIR project is moving towards completion in late 2011. This paper will present results of the individual technology development efforts and will discuss how these will be used in the design of instruments and systems to measure climate change on decadal time scales.