Remote Sensing Solutions teamed with University of Massachusetts to develop the Advanced Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (AWRAP). AWRAP is a frequency scanned, airborne Doppler radar that acquires volume and surface bacscatter measurements simultaneously at C and Ku-band and multiple incidence angles. The antenna beams are conically scanned at 60 rpm providing high resolution imaging. Deployed on the NOAA WP-3D aircraft, it maps the 3D atmospheric boundry layer and ocean vector surface winds and precipitation field of tropical cyclones and severe ocean storms. AWRAP has been operating from the NOAA WP-3D aircraft since 2006, and its predecessor, IWRAP since 2002.

RSS is currently developing a single aperture, frequency scanned, C/Ku-band dual polarized antenna for AWRAP. The new antenna will provide a compact solution deployable of other platforms and increased sensitivity and resolution.

Instrument Specifications:

• Center Frequency: 5.3 / 13 GHz.
• Transmit Bandwidth: 1 to 20 MHz
• 1 to 4 simultaneous receive beams, 18 to 55 degree incidence angle scan range.
• Single and dual polarized antennas
• Multi-beam conical scan (up to 60 rpm).
• Sensitivity: 15 dBZ @ 1 km

Partners and Related Technologies and Missions:

• NOAA SBIR program
• UMass Microwave Remote Sensing Laboratory
• NOAA / NESDIS/ STAR
• NOAA AOC
• NOAA / AOML / HRD

Contact RSS for more information.