| Paper: | TH-P2.1 |
| Session: | Atmospheric Applications of Radiometry I |
| Time: | Thursday, March 29, 15:40 - 16:00 |
| Presentation: |
Oral
|
| Topic: |
Clouds and precipitation: |
| Title: |
Pre- and Post-Launch Performance of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 Satellite (JPSS-1) |
| Authors: |
Edward Kim; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | | |
| | Vince Leslie; MIT Lincoln Laboratory | | |
| | Joseph Lyu; NASA and USRA | | |
| | Lisa McCormick; NASA and Fibertek | | |
| | Craig Smith; NASA and SGT | | |
| | Idahosa Osaretin; MIT Lincoln Laboratory | | |
| | Kent Anderson; NGAS | | |
| | Quanhua (Mark) Liu; NOAA/STAR | | |
| | Ninghai Sun; NOAA/STAR | | |
| | Hu Yang; NOAA/STAR | | |
| | Lin LIn; NOAA/STAR | | |
| Abstract: |
The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) is the newest generation of microwave sounder in the international fleet of polar-orbiting weather satellites, replacing the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) which first entered service in 1998. The first ATMS was launched aboard the Suomi NPP (S-NPP) satellite in October 2011. The second ATMS recently launched on the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 satellite (JPSS-1). ATMS provides 22 channels of temperature and humidity as well as cloud sounding observations over a frequency range from 23 to 183 GHz. These microwave soundings provide the highest impact data ingested by operational Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models, and are the most critical of the polar-orbiting satellite observations, particularly because microwave sensing can penetrate clouds.
This paper will present performance evaluations from pre-launch calibration measurements and post-launch early on-orbit characterization. The pre-launch characterizations were conducted by the instrument vendor, Northrop Grumman of Azusa, California in a thermal vacuum chamber with blackbody targets simulating cold space, ambient, and a variable Earth scene. They represent the best opportunity for calibration characterization of the instrument since the environment can be carefully controlled. The post-launch characterizations are from commissioning activities during the first 90 days on orbit.
We will present characterizations of the sensitivity (NEDT), accuracy, nonlinearity, noise spectral characteristics, gain stability, repeatability, and inter-channel noise correlation. An estimate of expected “striping” will be presented, and a discussion of reflector emissivity effects will also be provided. Comparisons will be made with the S-NPP flight unit. Finally, we will describe on-orbit characterizations—such as pitch and roll maneuvers—that are used to improve both the measurement quality and the understanding of various error contributions. |
