MUSAS: An NSF Community Instrument Facility

MUSAS: An NSF Community Instrument Facility

The Mobile Uncrewed Systems for Atmospheric Science (MUSAS) facility provides small uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and supporting equipment to capture high quality, high resolution in-situ measurements of atmospheric processes and phenomena. MUSAS is part of the Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) Program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and operates in the Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF) Program. 

Please see the NSF Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP) solicitation, which describes the mechanism by which the research community can propose projects that require access to instrumentation and facilities sponsored by the Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) Program. If you are interested in using our resources for non-NSF projects or learning about the research which led to the foundation of MUSAS, please visit the Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing initiative website. 

Who can apply? Members of the atmospheric and related science community, including researchers, educators, and those conducting outreach, can apply for NSF FARE/FIRP funding to access specialized equipment and facilities. Applicants must be affiliated with organizations capable of managing research projects, such as universities or research institutions, and must use the FARE Planner tool. 

If you would like to learn more about atmospheric research using UAS at CU Boulder, or learn about projects that developed UAS technologies and strategies for atmospheric science field campaigns, please see the Introduction to Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Atmospheric Science microcredential course developed by MUSAS. The course is video-based and allows participants to investigate topics such as FARE/FIRP, FAA regulations, and case studies. 

To request more information, please fill out our Initial Contact Request form and one of our Facility Directors will reach out to you about your FIRP request.

For more detailed information about our sUAS platforms, please visit our Equipment page.

MUSAS is supported by the National Science Foundation, Award No. AGS 2431471