<s>
The	O
Special	B-Algorithm
Sensor	I-Algorithm
Ultraviolet	I-Algorithm
Limb	I-Algorithm
Imager	I-Algorithm
(	O
SSULI	B-Algorithm
)	O
is	O
an	O
imaging	B-Algorithm
spectrometer	I-Algorithm
that	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
observe	O
the	O
earth	O
's	O
ionosphere	O
and	O
thermosphere	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
instruments	O
known	O
as	O
SSULI	B-Algorithm
(	O
Special	B-Algorithm
Sensor	I-Algorithm
Ultraviolet	I-Algorithm
Limb	I-Algorithm
Imager	I-Algorithm
)	O
launched	O
aboard	O
the	O
DMSP	O
block	O
of	O
5D3	O
satellites	O
,	O
which	O
started	O
in	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SSULI	B-Algorithm
measures	O
vertical	O
profiles	O
of	O
the	O
natural	O
airglow	O
radiation	O
from	O
atoms	O
,	O
molecules	O
and	O
ions	O
in	O
the	O
upper	O
atmosphere	O
and	O
ionosphere	O
by	O
viewing	O
the	O
Earth	O
's	O
limb	O
at	O
a	O
tangent	O
altitude	O
of	O
approximately	O
50km	O
to	O
750km	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
sensor	O
was	O
launched	O
on	O
the	O
DMSP	O
F16	O
spacecraft	O
in	O
October	O
2003	O
into	O
a	O
sun-synchronous	O
830km	O
circular	O
orbit	B-Application
at	O
a	O
local	O
time	O
of	O
0800-2000	O
UT	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
of	O
the	O
remaining	O
four	O
SSULIs	B-Algorithm
were	O
launched	O
on	O
the	O
following	O
DMSP	O
Block	O
5D3	O
satellitesDefense	O
Meteorological	O
Satellite	O
Program	O
#Block	O
5D	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
last	O
SSULI	B-Algorithm
is	O
at	O
NRL	O
awaiting	O
a	O
new	O
"	O
ride	O
"	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
cancellation	O
and	O
preservation	O
of	O
the	O
last	O
DMSP	O
satellite	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
satellites	O
will	O
be	O
launched	O
in	O
a	O
near-polar	O
,	O
sun-synchronous	O
orbit	B-Application
at	O
an	O
altitude	O
of	O
approximately	O
830km	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Low	O
Resolution	O
Airglow	O
and	O
Auroral	O
Spectrograph	O
(	O
LORAAS	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
SSULI	B-Algorithm
prototype	O
,	O
was	O
launched	O
on	O
board	O
the	O
Advanced	O
Research	O
and	O
Global	O
Observation	O
Satellite	O
(ARGOS_(satellite )	O
)	O
on	O
February	O
23	O
,	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
LORAAS	O
data	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
validate	O
SSULI	B-Algorithm
algorithms	O
that	O
convert	O
raw	O
measurements	O
(	O
Figure	O
2	O
)	O
into	O
useful	O
environmental	O
parameters	O
that	O
characterize	O
the	O
upper	O
atmosphere	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
extensive	O
operational	O
data	O
processing	O
system	O
has	O
been	O
developed	O
to	O
generate	O
environmental	O
data	O
from	O
SSULI	B-Algorithm
spectral	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Programs	O
are	O
designed	O
to	O
generate	O
a	O
SSULI	B-Algorithm
Prep	O
file	O
from	O
multiple	O
data	O
sources	O
including	O
Raw	O
Sensor	O
Data	O
Records	O
(	O
RSDR	O
)	O
at	O
the	O
Air	O
Force	O
Weather	O
Agency	O
(	O
AFWA	O
)	O
,	O
HIRAAS	O
real-time	O
data	O
assembled	O
at	O
US	O
Space	O
Command	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
extensive	O
HIRAAS	O
infobase	O
on	O
site	O
at	O
the	O
Naval	O
Research	O
Laboratory	O
.	O
</s>
