RD94 GPS DROPSONDES
NASA/GSFC has a requirement for sixty RD94 GPS Dropsondes. The Vaisala RD94 Dropsonde is a general purpose device for preforming measurements of the atmosphere as the sonde falls from high altitude aircraft. The RD94 measures the atmosperic profiles of pressure, temperature, relative humidity and wind from the point of launch to the surface. The overall dropsonde system plus the equipment for recording dropsonde telemetry is required to operate on the NASA DC8 research aircraft during the GPM-sponsored field campaign.
The operational dropsonde system shall:
Permit global operation, at altitudes up to 24 km
Permit for deployment at indicated airspeeds up to250 kts
Permit for simultaneous operation of up to four sondes (4-channel data system)
Permit sonde descent time approximately 12 minutes when released from 12 km
Permit 0.5-second sample rate for wind and thermodynamic data
Have a sonde weight
