US Patent 7106447 Molecular optical air data systems (MOADS)

A first beam of light from a laser is split by a beam splitter into a reference beam and at least one second beam of light, the latter of which is directed from an optical head into an atmosphere. Light from the at least one second beam of light scattered by molecules or aerosols in the atmosphere is collected by a corresponding at least one telescope of the optical head as at least one light signal. The at least one light signal and the reference beam are simultaneously processed by different portions of a Fabry-Pérot interferometer, and resulting fringe patterns are imaged onto a detector and processed by a data processor to determine at least one associated air data product.