Earth Science

UARS

1,357 tracked publications and 46,995 citations from 1991–2026. Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. Launched 1991. Life-cycle cost: $2.1B in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window November 1, 1991 to January 1, 2008: 1,083 publications, 120 top-10% credit.

Orbiter · h-index 95 · 88 papers with 100+ citations · prime mission ended 1993

Lifetime

Scope Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the prime mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Every tracked publication to date, with every citation to date. Methods

Key measures

Active Mission Window · papers November 1, 1991 to January 1, 2008
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods1,083
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods9,940
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods9.2
Median citations per publicationMedian citations: the middle paper’s citation count in the selected scope; half the papers have more, half fewer. A single blockbuster sways it less than the mean. Methods6
Uncited publicationsUncited publications: papers with no citations in the selected scope. Methods97 (9.0%)
Top-10% creditTop 10%: among the 10% most-cited papers from this division’s missions, ranked against papers published around the same time. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods120 · 3.1% of division
Top-1% creditTop 1%: among the 1% most-cited papers from this division’s missions within the selected window. Not adjusted for publication year. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods2 · 0.52% of division
Lifetime indices · every tracked publication to date, in any scope
h-indexh-index: the largest h such that h papers have at least h citations each. It only grows with time, so older missions score higher. Methods95
g-indexg-index: the largest g for which the g most-cited papers together hold at least g² citations. Like the h-index, but it lets the most-cited papers count for more. Methods143
m-index, as of October 4, 2026m-index: a mission’s h-index divided by the years since its first peer-reviewed paper. It falls every 1 January even when nothing else changes, so it belongs to the date shown; it also discounts the long operating life that larger missions paid for. Methods2.6
toritori (total research impact, from ADS): for every paper citing one of the mission’s papers, 1 divided by the citing paper’s reference count times the cited paper’s author count, summed, with self-citations removed. It favors citations from papers with short reference lists and from outside the mission’s own authors. Computed over the tracked citation graph, which can be slightly incomplete. Methods321
riqriq (research impact quotient): 1,000 times the square root of tori, divided by the years since the mission’s first paper. A rate, not a total, so it does not keep growing with age the way the h-index and tori do. Methods497

Tracked publications

  1. The Halogen Occultation Experiment

    Russell, James M., III, 1993, JGR

    676 citations

  2. Simulation of secular trends in the middle atmosphere, 1950-2003

    Garcia, R. R., 2007, JGRD

    572 citations

  3. The Solar Spectral Irradiance from 200 to 2400 nm as Measured by the SOLSPEC Spectrometer from the Atlas and Eureca Missions

    Thuillier, G., 2003, SoPh

    548 citations

  4. Analysis and validation of GPS/MET data in the neutral atmosphere

    Rocken, C., 1997, JGR

    390 citations

  5. GPS Sounding of the Atmosphere from Low Earth Orbit: Preliminary Results.

    Ware, R., 1996, BAMS

    385 citations

  6. Validation of the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder temperature and geopotential height measurements

    Schwartz, M. J., 2008, JGRD

    346 citations

  7. WINDII, the WIND imaging interferometer on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

    Shepherd, G. G., 1993, JGR

    343 citations

  8. Seasonal cycle of the residual mean meridional circulation in the stratosphere

    Rosenlof, Karen H., 1995, JGR

    341 citations

  9. New version of the TOMCAT/SLIMCAT off-line chemical transport model: Intercomparison of stratospheric tracer experiments

    Chipperfield, M. P., 2006, QJRMS

    318 citations

  10. GSWM-98: Results for migrating solar tides

    Hagan, M. E., 1999, JGR

    301 citations

  11. Radiative forcing from the 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption

    Stenchikov, Georgiy L., 1998, JGR

    291 citations

  12. Improved solar Lyman α irradiance modeling from 1947 through 1999 based on UARS observations

    Woods, Thomas N., 2000, JGR

    291 citations

  13. Validation of the UARS solar ultraviolet irradiances: Comparison with the ATLAS 1 and 2 measurements

    Woods, T. N., 1996, JGR

    269 citations

  14. Seasonal Cycles and QBO Variations in Stratospheric CH₄ and H₂O Observed in UARS HALOE Data.

    Randel, William J., 1998, JAtS

    260 citations

  15. Solar-Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment 1. I - Instrument design and operation

    Rottman, Gary J., 1993, JGR

    245 citations

  16. On the Motion of Air through the Stratospheric Polar Vortex.

    Manney, G. L., 1994, JAtS

    234 citations

  17. Chemistry of the 1991-1992 stratospheric winter: Three-dimensional model simulations

    LefèVre, F., 1994, JGR

    227 citations

  18. The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite microwave limb sounder instrument

    Barath, F. T., 1993, JGR

    223 citations

  19. The High-Resolution Doppler Imager on the Uppoer Atmosphere Research Sattelite

    Hays, Paul B., 1993, JGR

    216 citations

  20. Climatology of the semiannual oscillation of the tropical middle atmosphere

    Garcia, Rolando R., 1997, JGR

    206 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming UARS in the title, abstract or keywords; standard filters drop articles that are not peer-reviewed and magazine pieces. SciX is ADS’s current interface.

((=abs:("Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite" OR "Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite" OR "Halogen Occultation Experiment" OR "Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer" OR "Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder" OR "High Resolution Doppler Imager" OR "Particle Environment Monitor") OR (abs:UARS AND abs:(atmosphere OR atmospheric OR stratospher* OR mesospher* OR thermospher* OR mesopause OR ozone OR irradiance OR limb OR wind OR winds OR aerosol OR aerosols OR airglow OR dayglow OR tide OR tides OR radar OR radars OR auroral OR aurora OR ionospher* OR solar OR spacecraft OR satellite OR MLS OR SOLSTICE OR ACRIM OR PEM)) OR (abs:(HALOE OR CLAES OR ISAMS) AND abs:(atmosphere OR atmospheric OR stratospher* OR mesospher* OR thermospher* OR ozone OR aerosol OR aerosols OR limb OR tropopause OR vortex OR ="water vapor" OR methane OR tracer OR tracers OR transport)) OR (abs:(HRDI OR WINDII) AND abs:(atmosphere OR atmospheric OR stratospher* OR mesospher* OR thermospher* OR mesopause OR wind OR winds OR tide OR tides OR airglow OR dayglow OR nightglow OR ozone)) OR (=abs:"Wind Imaging Interferometer" AND abs:(atmosphere OR atmospheric OR stratospher* OR mesospher* OR thermospher* OR mesopause OR wind OR winds OR tide OR tides OR airglow OR dayglow OR nightglow OR ozone) NOT abs:(static OR polarization OR polarizing OR birefringent OR "four-quadrant")) OR (abs:SUSIM AND abs:(irradiance OR ultraviolet OR UV) NOT abs:(ATLAS OR Spacelab)))) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[1991-11 TO 2040-01] AND NOT bibstem:("A&R" OR "AIASJ" OR "AeAm" OR "AirSp" OR "AsNow" OR "AsUAI" OR "AvWST" OR "C&E" OR "C&T" OR "CAPJ" OR "E&S" OR "ENews" OR "IrAJ" OR "JCos" OR "JRASC" OR "LAstr" OR "MNSSA" OR "Met" OR "NewSc" OR "Orion" OR "PhT" OR "PhTea" OR "PhuZ" OR "PhyOJ" OR "PhyW" OR "PlR" OR "SciAm" OR "SpFl" OR "ZemVs")

Open in SciX

Removed after review (3)

  1. Solar-Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment II (Solstice II): Instrument Concept and Design Describes SORCE's SOLSTICE II instrument; mentions UARS only as design heritage. Decision 🤖
  2. Performance evaluation of a thermal Doppler Michelson interferometer system Test-bed study for a proposed wind interferometer; mentions UARS only as technique heritage. Decision 🤖
  3. Error analysis of the moving mirror tilting in Michelson wind imaging interferometer Error analysis of a generic wind imaging interferometer; does not name UARS or its instruments. Decision 🤖