A spaceborne microwave radar system for looking inside clouds

Ralph R. Basilio; Eastwood Im; Mark J. Rokey; Deborah G. Vane

doi:10.1117/12.693479

3 October 2006 A spaceborne microwave radar system for looking inside clouds

Ralph R. Basilio, Eastwood Im, Mark J. Rokey, Deborah G. Vane

Proceedings Volume 6361, Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites X; 63610D (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.693479
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2006, Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

CloudSat is a NASA ESSP (Earth System Science Pathfinder Mission) that provides from a space the first global survey of cloud profiles and cloud physical properties, with seasonal and geographical variations. The data obtained will allow for clouds and cloud processes to be more accurately represented in global atmospheric models leading to improved climate change predictions, and eventually, weather forecasting. To achieve this ambitious goal, JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) in collaboration with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) designed, developed, and tested a 94.05 GHz, W-band, microwave cloud profiling radar system derived from current ground-based and airborne systems. The CloudSat Project team is witnessing how well the instrument performs during in-flight operations with the recent successful launch. Although Level 1 (i.e. radiometric-corrected and geo-located) and Level 2 (i.e. retrieved geophysical parameters) science data products will not be released until the January 2007 timeframe, the yet uncalibrated and unvalidated "quick look" products, available to the general public on the CloudSat Data Processing Center website, provide every indication that the mission objectives will be met.

Citation Download Citation

Ralph R. Basilio, Eastwood Im, Mark J. Rokey, and Deborah G. Vane "A spaceborne microwave radar system for looking inside clouds", Proc. SPIE 6361, Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites X, 63610D (3 October 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.693479

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