The RAIDS experiment on the ISS: on-orbit performance

The Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System (RAIDS) is new NASA experiment studying the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere from a vantage point on the International Space Station (ISS). RAIDS along with a companion hyperspectral imaging experiment were launched in September 2009 to operate as the first US payload on the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility. The scientific objectives of the RAIDS experiment are to study the temperature of the lower thermosphere (100-200 km), to measure composition and chemistry of the lower thermosphere and ionosphere, and to measure the initial source of O+ 83.4 nm emission. The RAIDS sensor complement includes three photometers, three spectrometers, and two spectrographs which span the wavelength range 50-874 nm and scan or image the atmospheric limb 90-300 km. After installation aboard the ISS, RAIDS underwent a 30-day checkout period before entering science operations. RAIDS is serving as a pathfinder for atmospheric remote sensing from the ISS, and the experiment team gained valuable operational insights using this space platform throughout the first year of the mission. This paper describes key aspects of experiment performance relevant to interpreting RAIDS science data and designing future atmospheric remote sensing experiments for the ISS.