Equipment
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Researchers and educators, seeking airborne atmospheric measurements, can access a versatile fleet of uncrewed aircraft systems and field support infrastructure through MUSAS. Our platforms are designed to address a broad range of scientific objectives, including boundary layer characterization, turbulence measurements, aerosol sampling, and surface-atmosphere exchanges. These platforms have been successfully deployed across diverse environments spanning the Great Plains, Arctic and coastal regions. Details on each system and its capabilities are provided below.
MUSAS UAS Platforms
The RAAVEN is MUSAS's primary fixed-wing platform, purpose-built for sustained atmospheric sampling in the lower troposphere. Capable of flights up to 2.5 hours and a range exceeding 100 km, the RAAVEN is well-suited for capturing horizontal transects and vertical profiles across large spatial domains. Standard instrumentation includes thermodynamic variables (pressure, temperature, and relative humidity) via two Vaisala RSS421 sensors and three-dimensional winds via a custom 9-hole probe, with additional payload options available for aerosol, radiation, and high-frequency turbulence measurements. The RAAVEN has logged hundreds of flight hours across major field campaigns targeting severe storms, Arctic boundary layers, aerosol-convection interactions, and open-ocean environments.
The CopterSonde 3 is a compact multirotor UAS optimized for rapid vertical profiling of thermodynamic variables and 2D winds in the lower troposphere. Its semi-autonomous operations and minimal crew requirements make it highly adaptable for deployments in both remote and access-restricted environments, including urban and suburban settings. The CS3 is particularly well-suited for studies requiring frequent, high-resolution atmospheric profiles — such as boundary layer evolution, pre-convective environment characterization, and surface-atmosphere exchange processes.
The HELIX is a hexacopter platform designed for research requiring heavier or more specialized payloads than fixed-wing systems can accommodate. Equipped with stabilized pyranometers and multispectral camera systems, the HELIX is well-suited for studies of land surface characteristics, broadband shortwave irradiance, and surface energy balance. Its hovering capability allows for targeted sampling at fixed altitudes, complementing the horizontal and vertical transects captured by the RAAVEN and CS3.
MUSAS Supporting Equipment
MUSAS operates two instrumented Ford Explorer SUVs configured as mobile ground stations to support line-of-sight flight operations for the RAAVEN and Super RAAVEN during field deployments. Each vehicle serves as a mobile command and control station, enabling dynamic repositioning during rapidly evolving atmospheric events — a critical capability for campaigns targeting phenomena such as severe convective storms or rapidly shifting boundary layer conditions. The tracker vehicles are a core component of MUSAS's ability to conduct mobile, storm-relative operations in the field.
The Mobile UAS Research Collaboratory (MURC) is a fully equipped Sprinter van that serves as a self-contained field operations hub for MUSAS operations and deployments. The MURC features ruggedized server racks for high-performance field computing and real-time data processing, workstations capable of supporting simultaneous operations of up to six aircraft, and a 50-foot deployable mast instrumented with a complete meteorological station for wind, pressure, temperature, and humidity measurements. The MURC's meteorological station supports UAS sensor calibration in the field and provides independent atmospheric measurements for siting assessments and sensor intercomparisons. Together, these capabilities make the MURC an essential asset for complex, multi-platform field campaigns.