The intelligent airborne radar sensor instrumentation for multiple flight missions will provide an excellent undergraduate experience for the students and contribute to the scientific knowledge…

This federal contract award, valued at $197,928.40, was issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the University of Oklahoma, a state-controlled institution of higher learning. The contract, which is not set aside, is for the development of an "Intelligent Airborne Radar Sensor Instrumentation for Multiple Flight Missions." The project aims to provide undergraduate students with hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and deploying a small Ka-band radar system capable of scanning a range of 3-5 kilometers. The radar will employ a novel frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) waveform and baseband radar scheme, and the data collected will be used to study cloud microphysics, dynamics, and mixing, as well as enabling situational awareness for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This contract is part of NASA's efforts to enhance undergraduate STEM education through collaborative, real-world research experiences.

The intelligent airborne radar sensor instrumentation for multiple flight missions will provide an excellent undergraduate experience for the students and contribute to the scientific knowledge base. Experiential learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) is becoming a primary focus of the modern education system. In addition, creating mentored, student driven opportunities gives undergraduates the chance to acquire critical real-world experience and skills needed by science and industry leaders. In this project, student teams will design and implement a small KA-band radar capable of being mounted and deployed on a high-altitude airborne platform. The radar will be capable of a scanning range of three to five kilometers with multiple mission configurations. The system will employ a novel frequency-modulated continuous wave (fmcw) waveform and baseband radar scheme. In collaboration with the goddard space flight center and jet propulsion laboratory, the developed instrument will be deployed to gain a better understanding of cloud microphysics, dynamics, and mixing. Data collection will also enable using the instrument for situational awareness in unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This project provides a pivotal foundation to enhance undergraduate stem education through collaborative hands-on experiences in instrument design, development, implementation, and research.