Balloonborne lidar payloads for remote sensing

A series of lidar experiments has been conducted using the Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment payload, ABLE. These experiments included the measurement of atmospheric Rayleigh and Mie backscatter from near space (∼ 30 km) and Raman backscatter measurements of atmospheric constituents as a function of altitude. The ABLE payload consisted of a frequency-tripled Nd: YAG laser transmitter, a 50 cm receiver telescope, and filtered photodetectors in various focal plane configurations. The payload provided for lidar pointing, thermal control, data handling, and remote control of the lidar system. Comparison of ABLE performance with that of a space lidar shows significant performance advantages and cost effectiveness for balloonborne lidar systems.