Joe K. Taylor

TIR Spectral Radiance Calibration of the GOSAT Satellite Borne TANSO-FTS With the Aircraft-Based S-HIS and the Ground-Based S-AERI at the Railroad Valley Desert Playa

The thermal infrared (TIR) band of Thermal and Near-Infrared Sensor for carbon Observations Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) on the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) measures a wide range of scene temperatures using a single detector band with broad spectral coverage. This work describes the vicarious radiometric calibration over a large footprint (10.5 km) and high temperature surface using well-calibrated ground-based and airborne FTS sensors. The vicarious calibration campaign of GOSAT was conducted at Railroad Valley, NV in June 2011. During the campaign, the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) mounted on the high-altitude NASA ER-2 aircraft observed upwelling radiation and the ground-based Surface-Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (S-AERI) observed infrared thermal emission from the atmosphere and the surface at the same location and time as the GOSAT TANSO-FTS. We validated TANSO-FTS TIR radiance with S-HIS radiance using double difference method, which reduces the effect of differences in the observation geometry. In this paper, we estimated the TANSO-FTS Instantaneous Field of View average temperature and emissivity by the coincident S-AERI and S-HIS observed radiance. The double difference between TANSO-FTS and S-HIS result in a difference of 0.5 K at atmospheric window channels (800 ~ 900 cm-1) and CO2 warm brightness temperature channels (700 ~ 750 cm-1), 0.1 K at ozone channels (980 ~ 1080 cm-1), and more than 2 K at CO2 cool brightness temperature channels (650 ~ 700 cm-1). The main reason of remaining errors is attributed to a calibration error in the TANSO-FTS Level 1B product version under evaluation.

A geosynchronous imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (GIFTS) for hyperspectral atmospheric remote sensing: instrument overview and preliminary performance results

The Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) was developed for the NASA New Millennium Program (NMP) Earth Observing-3 (EO-3) mission. This paper discusses the GIFTS measurement requirements and the technology utilized by the GIFTS sensor to provide the required system performance. Also presented are preliminary results from the recently completed calibration of the instrument. The GIFTS NMP mission challenge was to demonstrate new and emerging sensor and data processing technologies to make revolutionary improvements in meteorological observational capability and forecasting accuracy using atmospheric imaging and hyperspectral sounding methods. The GIFTS sensor is an imaging FTS with programmable spectral resolution and spatial scene selection, allowing radiometric accuracy and atmospheric sounding precision to be traded in near-real time for area coverage. System sensitivity is achieved through the use of a cryogenic Michelson interferometer and two large-area, IR focal plane detector arrays. Due to funding limitations, the GIFTS sensor module was completed as an engineering demonstration unit, which can be upgraded for flight qualification. Capability to meet the next generation geosynchronous sounding requirements has been successfully demonstrated through thermal vacuum testing and rigorous IR calibration activities.

The University of Wisconsin Space Science and Engineering Center Absolute Radiance Interferometer (ARI)

A summary of the development of the Absolute Radiance Interferometer (ARI) at the University of Wisconsin Space Science and Engineering Center (UW-SSEC) will be presented. At the heart of the sensor is the ABB CLARREO Interferometer Test-Bed (CITB), based directly on the ABB Generic Flight Interferometer (GFI). This effort is funded under the NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP).

Validation of Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) spectral radiances with the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aircraft instrument

The ability to accurately validate high spectral resolution infrared radiance measurements from space using comparisons with aircraft spectrometer observations has been successfully demonstrated. The demonstration is based on an under-flight of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the NASA Aqua spacecraft by the Scanning High resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) on the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft on 21 November 2002 and resulted in brightness temperature differences approaching 0.1K for most of the spectrum. This paper presents the details of this AIRS/S-HIS validation case and also presents comparisons of Aqua AIRS and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiance observations. Aircraft comparisons of this type provide a mechanism for periodically testing the absolute calibration of spacecraft instruments with instrumentation for which the calibration can be carefully maintained on the ground. This capability is especially valuable for assuring the long-term consistency and accuracy of climate observations. It is expected that aircraft flights of the S-HIS and its close cousin the National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Atmospheric Sounder Testbed (NAST) will be used to check the long-term stability of the NASA EOS spacecrafts (Terra, Aqua and Aura) and the follow-on complement of operational instruments, including the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS).

The University of Wisconsin Space Science and Engineering Center Absolute Radiance Interferometer (ARI): instrument overview and radiometric performance

Spectrally resolved infrared (IR) and far infrared (FIR) radiances measured from orbit with extremely high absolute accuracy (< 0.1 K, k = 3, brightness temperature at scene temperature) constitute a critical observation for future climate benchmark missions. The challenge in the IR/FIR Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) sensor development for a climate benchmark measurement mission is to achieve the required ultra-high accuracy with a design that can be flight qualified, has long design life, and is reasonably small, simple, and affordable. In this area, our approach is to make use of components with strong spaceflight heritage (direct analogs with high TRL) combined into a functional package for detailed performance testing. The required simplicity is achievable due to the large differences in the sampling and noise requirements for the benchmark climate measurement from those of the typical remote sensing infrared sounders for weather research or operations. A summary of the instrument design and development, and the radiometric performance of the Absolute Radiance Interferometer (ARI) at the University of Wisconsin Space Science and Engineering Center (UW-SSEC) will be presented.

Hazard Detection Analysis for a Forward-Looking Interferometer

The Forward-Looking Interferometer (FLI) is a new instrument concept for obtaining the measurements required to alert flight crews to potential weather hazards to safe flight. To meet the needs of the commercial fleet, such a sensor should address multiple hazards to warrant the costs of development, certification, installation, training, and maintenance. The FLI concept is based on high-resolution Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometry (FTS) technologies that have been developed for satellite remote sensing. These technologies have also been applied to the detection of aerosols and gases for other purposes. The FLI concept is being evaluated for its potential to address multiple hazards including clear air turbulence (CAT), volcanic ash, wake vortices, low slant range visibility, dry wind shear, and icing during all phases of flight (takeoff, cruise, and landing). The research accomplished in this second phase of the FLI project was in three major areas: further sensitivity studies to better understand the potential capabilities and requirements for an airborne FLI instrument, field measurements that were conducted in an effort to provide empirical demonstrations of radiometric hazard detection, and theoretical work to support the development of algorithms to determine the severity of detected hazards

Suomi NPP/JPSS Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS): Calibration Validation With The Aircraft Based Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS)

A summary of the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) radiometric calibration validation assessment conducted using the aircraft based Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) during the SNPP 2013 calibration validation campaign is presented.

Infrared calibration for climate: a perspective on present and future high-spectral resolution instruments

The new era of high spectral resolution infrared instruments for atmospheric sounding offers great opportunities for climate change applications. A major issue with most of our existing IR observations from space is spectral sampling uncertainty and the lack of standardization in spectral sampling. The new ultra resolution observing capabilities from the AIRS grating spectrometer on the NASA Aqua platform and from new operational FTS instruments (IASI on Metop, CrIS for NPP/NPOESS, and the GIFTS for a GOES demonstration) will go a long way toward improving this situation. These new observations offer the following improvements: 1. Absolute accuracy, moving from issues of order 1 K to <0.2-0.4 K brightness temperature, 2. More complete spectral coverage, with Nyquist sampling for scale standardization, and 3. Capabilities for unifying IR calibration among different instruments and platforms. However, more needs to be done to meet the immediate needs for climate and to effectively leverage these new operational weather systems, including 1. Place special emphasis on making new instruments as accurate as they can be to realize the potential of technological investments already made, 2. Maintain a careful validation program for establishing the best possible direct radiance check of long-term accuracy--specifically, continuing to use aircraft-or balloon-borne instruments that are periodically checked directly with NIST, and 3. Commit to a simple, new IR mission that will provide an ongoing backbone for the climate observing system. The new mission would make use of Fourier Transform Spectrometer measurements to fill in spectral and diurnal sampling gaps of the operational systems and provide a benchmark with better than 0.1K 3-sigma accuracy based on standards that are verifiable in-flight.

The Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS): noise performance

The NASA New Millennium Program (NMP) Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) instrument was designed to demonstrate new and emerging technologies and provide immense improvements in satellite based remote sensing of the atmosphere from a geostationary orbit [1]. Combining a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and Large Area Focal Plane Arrays, GIFTS measures incident infrared radiance with an extraordinary combination of spectral, temporal, and spatial resolution and coverage. Thermal vacuum testing of the GIFTS Engineering Development Unit (EDU) was performed at the Space Dynamics Laboratory and completed in May 2006 [2,3]. The GIFTS noise performance measured during EDU thermal vacuum testing indicates that threshold performance has been realized, and that goal performance (or better) has been achieved over much of both the Longwave Infrared (LWIR) and Short/Midwave Infrared (SMWIR) detector bands. An organizational structure for the division of the noise sources and effects for the GIFTS instrument is presented. To comprehensively characterize and predict the effects of measurement noise on expected instrument performance, the noise sources are categorically divided and a method of combining the independent effects is defined. Within this architecture, the total noise is principally decomposed into spectrally correlated noise and random (spectrally uncorrelated) noise. The characterization of the spectrally correlated noise sources specified within the structure is presented in detail.

Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) Engineering Demonstration Unit (EDU) overview and performance summary

The Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS), developed for the NASA New Millennium Program (NMP) Earth Observing-3 (EO-3) mission, has recently completed a series of uplooking atmospheric measurements. The GIFTS development demonstrates a series of new sensor and data processing technologies that can significantly expand geostationary meteorological observational capability. The resulting increase in forecasting accuracy and atmospheric model development utilizing this hyperspectral data is demonstrated by the uplooking data. The GIFTS sensor is an imaging FTS with programmable spectral resolution and spatial scene selection, allowing spectral resolution and area coverage to be traded in near-real time. Due to funding limitations, the GIFTS sensor module was completed as an engineering demonstration unit that can be upgraded to flight quality. This paper reviews the GIFTS system design considerations and the technology utilized to enable a nearly two order performance increase over the existing GOES sounder and shows its capability. While not designed as an operational sensor, GIFTS EDU provides a flexible and accurate testbed for the new products the hyperspectral era will bring. Efforts to find funding to upgrade and demonstrate this amazing sensor in space are continuing.