Instrument Summary

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environment Satellite System (NPOESS) will collect and disseminate data about the Earth's oceans, atmosphere, land, climate, and space environment. These environmental measurements are made available by a variety of instruments (sensors) both new and existing. The following lists the various sensors and responsible agency by category.

New sensors under development

• VIIRS Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite

  Collects visible and infrared radiometric data of the Earth's atmosphere, ocean, and land surfaces. Data types include atmospheric, clouds, Earth radiation budget, land/water and sea surface temperature, ocean color, and low light imagery.

• CrIS Crosstrack Infrared Sounder.

  Measures Earth's radiation to determine the vertical distribution of temperature, moisture, and pressure in the atmosphere.

• OMPS Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite

  Collects data to permit the calculation of the vertical and horizontal distribution of ozone in the Earth's atmosphere.

• SESS Space Environment Sensor Suite.

  Collects data related to the neutral and charged particles, electron and magnetic fields, and optical signatures of aurora.

• APS Aerosol Polarimeter Sensor.

  The purpose of the APS is to retrieve specified aerosol and cloud parameters using multispectral photopolarimetry. It is anticipated that the APS will need to simultaneously measure scene radiance in orthogonal polarizations over a range of viewing angles in order to make these retrievals.

Sensors being developed by other agencies

• ATMS Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (currently under development by NASA)

  In conjunction with CrIS, global observations of temperature and moisture profiles at high temporal resolution (~ daily).

Sensor payloads similar to existing instruments

• DCS Data Collection System

  The NPOESS DCS will be similar to the ARGOS DCS which resides on NOAA's current POES and measures environmental factors such as atmospheric temperature and pressure, and the velocity and direction of the ocean and wind currents.

• ERBS Earth Radiation Budget Sensor

  NPOESS will measure Earth Radiation Budget parameters using instruments similar to the ERBE and CERES heritage instruments:
  
  

  ERBE — Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. NASA's Earth Radiation Budget Satellite was the first of three platforms to carry the ERBE instruments. The second ERBE instrument was aboard the NOAA-9 satellite when it was launched in January of 1985, and the third was aboard the NOAA-10 satellite when it was launched in October of 1986. Although the scanning instruments on board all three ERBE satellites have failed, the nonscanning instruments are all presently functioning.

  CERES — Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System. Part of NASA's EOS, CERES products include both solar-reflected and Earth-emitted radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. Cloud properties are determined using simultaneous measurements by other EOS instruments such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).

• RADAR Altimeter

  NPOESS will use a RADAR altimeter similar to that used on Jason-1 which is used to measure sea surface topography ocean surface topography to an accuracy of 4.2 cm.

• SARSAT Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking

  The SARSAT system uses NOAA satellites in low-Earth and geostationary orbits to detect and locate aviators, mariners, and land-based users in distress. The satellites relay distress signals from emergency beacons to a network of ground stations and ultimately to the U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC) in Suitland, Maryland. The USMCC processes the data and alerts the appropriate search and rescue authorities.

• TSIS Total Solar Irradiance Sensor

  TSIS is a total solar irradiance monitor plus a 0.2- 2 micron solar spectral irradiance monitor. This is being developed under a NASA contract with the University of Colorado—Labratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). Northrop Grumman will procure the NPOESS TSIS through LASP.

Shared data from other agencies

• ASCAT Advanced Scatterometer (ESA)

  The Advanced Scatterometer will collect data on surface wind vectors, sea-ice cover, snow cover and vegetation density. It is one of eight instruments included in the payload on Meteorological Operational (MetOp) satellite. MetOp is a series of three satellites to be launched sequentially over 14 years, starting in 2005, and forms the space segment of EUMETSAT's Polar System (EPS).

• ILRS International Laser Ranging Service

  The ILRS collects, merges, archives and distributes Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) observation data sets of sufficient accuracy to satisfy the objectives of a wide range of scientific, engineering, and operational applications and experimentation. These data sets are used by the ILRS to generate a number of scientific and operational data products.