Title: Development of the Multi-Angle Stratospheric Aerosol Radiometer (MASTAR) Instrument
Presenting Author: Nick Gorkavyi
Organization: SSAI
Co-Author(s): Matthew DeLand (SSAI), Peter Colarco (NASA/GSFC), Matthew Kowalewski (USRA/GESTAR), Nick Gorkavyi (SSAI), Luis Ramos-Izquierdo (NASA/GSFC), Sara Riall (NASA/GSFC)

Abstract:
Aerosol particles in the stratosphere (~15-25 km altitude), produced by volcanic eruptions and anthropogenic emissions, can offset some of the warming effects caused by greenhouse gases. These aerosols are currently monitored using measurements from the Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler (LP) instrument on the Suomi NPP satellite. In order to improve the sensitivity and spatial coverage of these aerosol data, we are developing a compact version of the OMPS LP sensor called Multi-Angle Stratospheric Aerosol Radiometer (MASTAR) using a NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) grant to fly on a 3U Cubesat satellite. This instrument will make limb viewing measurements of the atmosphere in multiple directions simultaneously, and uses only a few selected wavelengths to reduce size and cost. An initial prototype version has been constructed using NASA GSFC internal funding and tested in the laboratory. We will discuss the scientific benefits of MASTAR and the status of the project.