The 1999 Leonid MAC campaign consisted of five consecutive nighttime flights including stops in the United States, England, Israel, and the Azores. The Space Dynamics Laboratory of Utah State University operated several instruments in the visible and infrared spectral bands. One system obtained high-resolution (4 cm-1) measurements of the night sky emission spectra in the 1 to 1.65-micrometer band. Measurements were obtained above the clouds providing exceptional viewing conditions. The OH airglow emission layer originates at an altitude of ~87 km and has a half-width of typically 8–10 km. Its behavior during the storm night of 17/18 November 1999 was of particular interest because the OH airglow emission may be affected by the Leonid meteor ablation products that can penetrate to altitudes as low as 80 to 90 km altitudes. Typical Leonid meteor end-heights are much higher above ~100 km. Variability of the OH emission was measured to investigate any changes that may result from meteor interactions with the atmosphere that could cause changes in the natural airglow emission via excitation caused by the meteor ablation products. It is also possible that organic materials in the meteors could be broken down into simpler products that include the OH hydroxyl radical.

To search for these effects, airglow data were collected by a Bomem Michelson M-150 interferometer. This interferometer operates at 4 cm-1 resolution (apodized) with a scan rate of about 1 scan every 3 seconds. The interferometer field of view is 1.5° and it is sensitive from 1 to 1.65 micrometers. An intensified Xibion camera recorded the instrument field of view during the flight, providing information on the pointing elevation and azimuth. This sensor operated almost continuously during the entire 1999 Leonid MAC campaign and collected an extensive set of night airglow spectra.

NIRSPEC detects shock emissions in the range 0.96 - 1.67 micron and measures blackbody continuum in the near-Infrared where the blackbody continuum peaks at lower temperatures.

The instrument consists of an InGaAs camera with a 600 l/mm objective grating. The InGaAs camera detects stars of about J-magnitude +2, meteors of about magnitude -1. The co-aligned intensified camera detects stars of magnitude +6.

The IHFRI provides imaging (and spectral) information at a rate of 1000 frames per second for detection of ablation anomalies, flicker in bowshock emissions, spacecraft rotation, and wake.

This instrument consists of a 6 inch clear aperature f0.75/105 mm lens and 256 x 256 pixel intensified CCD camera. The field of view is 6.25 x 6.25 degrees, illuminating 11.5 x 11.5 mm of the photocathode of the intensifier. The intensifier phospher has a brief decay time constant of 0.8 ms, ideally suited to study the natural afterglow in rapidly moving targets. It can be equipped with a low dispersion 7 inch 300 l/mm grating, providing a spectrum from 500 nm (15.9 mm from zero order) to 900 nm (29.4 mm from zero order) just outside the field of view. Spectrum can be recorded by pointing away from the SRC and will help target acquisition by providing a ray directed to the zero order.

This pair of intensified cameras measure the total radiative output of the SRC during entry in the 400 - 900 nm band.

The INT instrument consists of four cameras, two on both sides of the aircraft, consist of a 50 mm f2.8 Nikon lens, an XX1332 image intensifier with large 48 mm photocathode, and a Sony handycam camcorder (recording of video output on Hi-8 tape in NTSC format - 640 x 480 pixels). The lens can be equipped with a low-dispersion grating to generate 1st and higher order spectra, each containing a fraction of the light. This facilitates the measurement of luminosity when the zero order image saturates.

ALLSKY is a wide field intensified camera with all-sky lens. It measures total radiative output in the 400 - 900 nm band.

This camera consists of a 15 mm f2.8 Canon lens, an XX1332 image intensifier with large 48-mm photocathode, and a Sony handycam camcorder (recording of video output on Hi-8 tape in NTSC format - 640 x 480 pixels). The field of view is about 160º when mounted so that the dome does not obstruct. Moonlight is blocked by covering the zenith part of the dome.

The Ames digital imager is a cooled large format NikonTM1 D70 digital camera with a 70-300mm f5.6 Nikon lens. It is used hand-held behind a passenger window with exposure times 1/1000s. The camera uses a SONYTM ICX413AQ CCD detector with image format 3040 x 2014 pixels of size 7.8 microns. It measures total radiative output of the sample return capsule along its trajectory.

ASTRO utilizes slit-less spectroscopy with transmission grating, a long focal length lens, and a cooled CCD camera detector.

This instrument consists of a Richardson Grating Laboratory 11 x 11 cm plane transmission grating (35-54-20-660), an AF-S Nikkor f2.8/300 mm Nikon 300D IF-ED lens, and a two-stage thermoelectrically cooled back-illuminated 1024 x 1024 pixel Pixelvision CCD camera. An optional order separation filter.

Scientific objective: Spectral resolution of shock layer radiation. Resolve spectral lines of air plasma emissions at optical wavelengths for the measurement of excitation temperatures. Provide high spectral resolution and absolute calibration at high dynamic range. Limitation: only one measurement made in a brief time interval during the point of peak brightness.

The AIM-IT instrument (Meteor Tracker) was developed for rapid pointing and meteor tracking. Its purpose is to image bright meteors in high resolution, searching for jets and other plasma ejections. During the 2001 Leonids, the instrument carried a light collection lens with a fiber optic connection to a spectrograph.