ACTIVATE Dropsonde Launcher

ACTIVATE Dropsonde Launcher

Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) Dropsonde Launcher is an airborne enclosure designed to be mounted in the NASA Langley King Air B-200 aircraft. The launcher was delivered in time to support project test flights in fall 2019. Dropsondes are ejected at appropriate flight altitudes and air speed and is completely operated from within the aircraft cabin.

ACTIVATE studies the atmosphere over the western North Atlantic Ocean and samples its broad range of aerosol, cloud, and meteorological conditions. Over three years and six deployments, ACTIVATE collected an unprecedented dataset of atmospheric conditions.

The dropsonde launcher was retrofitted to the camera port modification and had critical size constraints to fit and be easily operable. Dropsondes are used in situ to collect secondary measurements to validate the HSRL LiDAR measurements. To use the launcher, a small package with electronics is loaded into the upper section of the tube and a valve is triggered to open. The package passes magnets in the lower portion that activate the electronics and engage a parachute to begin collecting data.