The Y-Band Temperature and Humidity Profiler (YTHP) is a microwave radiometric sensor designed to remotely monitor humidity and temperature at altitudes relevant to civilian aviation in realtion to contrail formation.

It has a 450-GHz integrated receiver that has significantly higher sensitivity to water vapor. The YTHP sensor will be capable of temperature and water vapor profiling ahead of the aircraft at horizontal scales less than 5 km.

The forward-looking and vertically scanned instrument will be mounted in the nose of a Gulfstream-II aircraft for airborne testing. In principle, knowledge of vertical distribution on humidity and temperature should provide the ability to adjust flight altitude as a method to avoid contrail formation.

The YTHP will be built on the Microwave Temperature and Humidity Profiler (MTHP) framework under a Space Act agreement with Northrup Grumman.

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Instrument specifics

• Status: IN DEVELOPMENT
• Type:
• Measurements: high altitude water vapor and temperature profiling

Platform(s)

• Gulfstream II

Campaigns flown

• Future test flights

Contact

Pekka Kangaslahti