SMARTSonde: A Small UAS Platform to Support Radar Research

The availability of atmospheric measurements over large spatial domains provides unquestionable value to meteorological studies; however, the acquisition of such data is not always easy to achieve. One typically relies on remote sensing instruments (radars, lidars, sodars, radiometers) or in-situ probes carried by balloons or piloted aircraft. An alternative to these traditional approaches is the use of an unmanned aerial system (UAS). Research groups have recognized the benefits of adopting a UAS-based approach for making atmospheric observations and there are several on-going projects to this effect around the world.