Main results of LSO (Lightning and sprite observations) on board of the international space station

Abstract

The experiment LSO (Lightning and Sprite Observations), on board of the International Space Station, was the first experiment dedicated to nadir observations of sprites from space. Such observations are innovative as sprites are generally observed at the horizon. At the nadir, sprites are superimposed with lightning flashes and the observation concept is based on a spectral differentiation of sprites and lightning by using an adapted filter. The experiment is composed of two micro-cameras, fixed on a station window. One camera is equipped with a filter and measures the sprites in the N2 1P most intense sprite emission line, which coincides also to the atmospheric absorption band of the molecular oxygen. The second microcamera provides observations of lightning flashes in the visible. Measurements were performed during four ESA missions: Andromede, Odissea, Cervantes and Delta. During 19h of effective observations, 180 flashes were analyzed and several possible sprites were identified, demonstrating the interest of this differentiation method. In addition during sunset and sunrise conditions when the lower atmosphere is in the dark, LSO observed the airglow of the secondary ozone maximum at about 90 km modulated by gravity wave activity.