SA43C-07
The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI): Final Instrument Design and Update on Integration and Test of the Thermsopheric Wind and Temperature Instrument on the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)

Thursday, 17 December 2015: 15:22
2016 (Moscone West)
Christoph R Englert1, John Harlander2, Charles M Brown1, Kenneth David Marr3, Jonathan J Makela4, Brian Joseph Harding5, Michael H Stevens6, Jed J Hancock7 and Thomas J Immel8, (1)Naval Research Lab DC, Space Science Division, Washington, DC, United States, (2)Saint Cloud State University, St Cloud, MN, United States, (3)Praxis Inc., Alexandria, VA, United States, (4)University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States, (5)University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States, (6)US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States, (7)Space Dynamics Laboratory, North Logan, UT, United States, (8)University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
Abstract:
The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) is one of four instruments on the NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON). MIGHTI will measure the global distribution of horizontal, neutral winds and temperatures over an altitude range that is not readily accessible to in-situ probes (90-300km).

Thermospheric winds will be obtained from Doppler shift measurements of the atomic oxygen green (λ=557.7nm) and red (λ=630.0nm) emission lines. Lower thermospheric temperatures will be determined from the spectral shape of the molecular oxygen atmospheric emission band around λ=762nm.

Two identical MIGHTI interferometers, oriented on the spacecraft to view a common atmospheric volume, obtain orthogonal line of sight wind information. Both instruments use the Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) approach with low order Echelle gratings optimized for the red, green, and near infrared wavelengths detected by MIGHTI.

In March 2015 the MIGHTI design was formally finalized at the Critical Design Review and the integration and test of an engineering unit was completed. We will present the measured performance of critical flight components, such as the interferometers, filters, and detectors. Using these parameters, we will present the corresponding performance estimates, including on-orbit data simulations and retrievals. 

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