New microwave radiometer technologies featured in the upcoming NASA TROPICS Pathfinder and Constellation Missions in 2021/2022

William J. Blackwell

doi:10.1117/12.2600441

12 September 2021 New microwave radiometer technologies featured in the upcoming NASA TROPICS Pathfinder and Constellation Missions in 2021/2022

William J. Blackwell

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11858, Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites XXV; 118580J (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2600441
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2021, Online Only

Abstract

The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission was selected by NASA as part of the Earth Venture--Instrument (EVI-3) program. The TROPICS Engineering Qualification Unit has been refurbished for flight, and a launch is planned for July 2021 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 to a 550-km sun synchronous orbit. This Pathfinder mission will provide risk reduction for the subsequent TROPICS constellation mission, which comprises six CubeSats in three low-Earth low-inclination orbital planes, with launches provided by Astra in early 2022. Each of these identical CubeSats will host a high performance radiometer to provide temperature profiles using seven channels near the 118.75 GHz oxygen absorption line, water vapor profiles using three channels near the 183 GHz water vapor absorption line, imagery in a single channel near 90 GHz for precipitation measurements (when combined with higher resolution water vapor channels), and a single channel at 205 GHz that is more sensitive to precipitation-sized ice particles. The TROPICS mission highlights a number of aspirations of future earth observing sysems, including high revisit rate, system resilience, rapid technology infusion, and low cost. This paper presents these elements with an eye toward future operational architectures for weather and climate monitoring.

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William J. Blackwell "New microwave radiometer technologies featured in the upcoming NASA TROPICS Pathfinder and Constellation Missions in 2021/2022", Proc. SPIE 11858, Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites XXV, 118580J (12 September 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2600441

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KEYWORDS

Radiometry

Microwave radiation

Absorption

Climatology

Eye

Image resolution

Oxygen

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