Authors
Joey Taylor (CIRES,NOAA/CSL)

Abstract

Small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) equipped with relevant sensors are capable of providing observations of wildfire with high temporal and spatial resolution at a relatively low cost and latency. Wildfires pose operational challenges that a sUAS remote sensing payload can uniquely navigate to deliver useful information to wildland firefighters and wildfire modelers alike. Satellite maps presently utilized by incident command and integrated into smoke forecasting are coarse compared with the size of active burning regions and may only be updated daily, while aircraft deployments are expensive and logistically complex. We present an updated lightweight sUAS remote sensing payload that is designed to provide highly complementary and useful wildfire observations for management, modeling, and improved parameterization of fires. Developed under the NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory's Nighttime Fire Observations Experiment (NightFOX) project, the payload is capable of providing high spatial and temporal resolution maps of fire extent, location, and radiative power (FRP) with infrared sensors observing in multiple wavelength bands. The remote sensing instruments include a shortwave IR (~1.6 um) imager and two midwave IR (~4 um) scanners that are closely matched with MODIS and VIIRS fire detection bands, and a visible / thermal IR imager for wider awareness. The NightFOX payload is capable of generating FRP measurements with a pixel size of approximately 20 m at the design flight altitude, supporting improved usage and interpretation of lower resolution (>= 375 m) global measurements from satellite instruments. This presentation will detail NightFOX project capabilities and lessons learned from past deployments, as well as future hopes and plans for enhancing the sensor package, advancing the payload operational readiness, and flying the payload in the field.