On
October 5,
2009, the RAIDS (Remote Atmospheric
and Ionospheric
Detection System) instrument, part
of the recently launched HREP
mission, has successfully achieved
first motion. After docking at
the ISS JEM-EF (International Space
Station Japanese Experiment Module
– Exposed Facility) in late
September 2009, the instrument
successfully
progressed through a series of
internal electrical verification
checks
that culminated in the release of
the latching mechanism and the
initiation of the scanning motion
for the sensor section of the
instrument. The instrument
will continuously scan the
atmosphere
between altitudes of 90 and
350 km over a waveband of 55–870
nm.
RSI's
Contribution
Research
Support
Instruments designed, built, and
fabricated, the FUV,
MUV, NUV, and NIR spectrometers,
telescopes, detector modules, and
power supplies for the RAIDS
instrument under contract to the
Naval
Research Laboratory. It
was manifested as part of NASA’s
HREP (HICO [hyperspectral imager for
the coastal ocean] / RAIDS
Experiment Payload) mission.
HREP was launched from Tanegashima
Japan on September 11, 2009 at 2:01
AM JST. Approximately 1 week later
the HTV (H2B Transfer Vehicle) cargo
carrier was captured and docked to
the ISS by the ISS remote arm.
Four days later HREP was removed
from the HTV and deployed at node 6
of the JEM-EF.