This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 8176, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction, and the Conference Committee listing.

NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) conducts pioneering work in Earth system science, the interdisciplinary view of Earth that explores the interaction among the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land surface interior, and life itself that has enabled scientists to measure global and climate changes and to inform decisions by governments, organizations, and people in the United States and around the world. The ESD makes the data collected and results generated by its missions accessible to other agencies and organizations to improve the products and services they provide, including air quality indices, disaster management, agricultural yield projections, and aviation safety. In addition to four missions now in development and 14 currently operating on-orbit, the ESD is now developing the first tier of missions recommended by the 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey and is conducting engineering studies and technology development for the second tier. Furthermore, NASA's ESD is planning implementation of a set of climate continuity missions to assure availability of key data sets needed for climate science and applications. These include a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO), OCO-2, planned for launch in 2013; refurbishment of the SAGE III atmospheric chemistry instrument to be hosted by the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2014; and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE FO) mission scheduled for launch in 2016. The new Earth Venture (EV) class of missions is a series of uncoupled, low to moderate cost, small to medium-sized, competitively selected, full orbital missions, instruments for orbital missions of opportunity, and sub-orbital projects.

The Aquarius/SAC-D observatory was launch in June 2011 from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), in California, USA. This mission is the fourth joint earth-observation endeavor between NASA and CONAE. The primary objective of the Aquarius/SAC-D mission is to investigate the links between global water cycle, ocean circulation and climate by measuring Sea Surface Salinity (SSS). Over the last year, the observatory successfully completed system level environmental and functional testing at INPE, Brazil and was transported to VAFB for launch operations. This paper will present the challenges of this mission, the system, the preparation of the spacecraft, instruments, testing, launch, inorbit checkout and commissioning of this Observatory in space.

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a joint NOAA/NASA mission comprised of a series of polar orbiting weather and climate monitoring satellites which will fly in a sun-synchronous orbit, with a 1330 equatorial crossing time. JPSS resulted from the decision to reconstitute the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) into two separate programs, one to be run by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the other by NOAA. This decision was reached in early 2010, after numerous development issues caused a series of unacceptable delays in launching the NPOESS system.

The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) is a part of the Crosstrack Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS) that will be used to produce accurate temperature, water vapor, and pressure profiles on the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) and upcoming Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) operational missions. The NPP CrIS flight model has completed sensor qualification, characterization, and calibration and is now integrated with the NPP spacecraft in preparation for the launch. This paper reviews the CrIS performance during thermal vacuum tests, including the spacecraft integration test, and provides a comparison to the AIRS and IASI heritage sensors that it builds upon. The CrIS system consists of the instrument itself and ground-based scientific algorithms. The data reported in this paper was processed with the latest version of the CrIS science sensor data record (SDR) algorithm and thus reflects the performance of the CrIS SDR system. This paper includes the key test results for Noise Equivalent Differential Noise (NEdN), Radiometric Performance, and Spectral Accuracy. The CrIS sensor performance is outstanding and will meet the mission needs for the NPP /JPSS mission. NEdN is one of the key performance tests for the CrIS sensor. The overall NEdN performance for the CrIS in the LWIR, MWIR and SWIR spectral bands is excellent and is comparable or exceeds NEdN performance of AIRS and IASI. Also discussed is the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach developed to estimate contribution of random and spectrally correlated noise components to the total NEDN.

The EUMETSAT Polar System Second Generation (EPS-SG) will continue operational meteorological measurements from polar orbiting satellites in the mid-morning orbit in the 2020 timeframe. The Metop Second Generation (Metop- SG) satellites will carry a payload which is primarily dedicated to operational meteorology and climate monitoring. A core mission within this payload is an optical imager required to meet the imagery user needs for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), Nowcasting (NWC) and climate applications. As NWP progresses towards operation on higher spatial resolution grids, improved representation of atmospheric processes encompassing the whole Earth system will be required, hence the availability of observations of clouds and aerosols as well as surface parameters will play an increasing role in a skilful weather forecast. Imagery data will also be very important in NWC applications, particularly in polar regions where space-borne imagery from geostationary satellites is not available. The EPS-SG Visible/Infrared Imaging mission (VII) follows on from an important list of predecessors such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the Moderate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS). The VII mission is planned to be implemented by the METimage instrument, developed by Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR). METimage is a cross-purpose medium resolution, multi-spectral optical imager, measuring the optical spectrum of radiation emitted and reflected by the Earth from a low-altitude sun synchronous orbit over a minimum swath width of 2800 km. The spectral and radiometric performances and space-time resolution introduce novel observing capabilities that will enhance the observation potential compared to current operational optical imagers. These enhanced capabilities along with the evolution of the VII observation requirements are discussed.

The Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) is being developed for launch in 2014 on ESAs Sentinel 5 Precursor satellite. TROPOMI is a passive sun backscatter spectrograph using the ultraviolet-to-SWIR wavelengths to have good sensitivity down to the surface. Together with its spatial resolution of 7 x 7 km² it allows good observations of sources and sinks of air quality and climate related gases and aerosols. This spatial resolution results in a high fraction of cloud-free observations and is combined with a wide cross-flight swath to allow daily coverage of the complete Earth. The instrument has as predecessors the OMI instrument (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) on NASAs AURA satellite and the SCIAMACHY instrument on ESAs ENVISAT, where the push broom concept is derived from OMI and the SWIR observations from SCIAMACHY. The wavelength bands of TROPOMI are a UV band (270 - 320 nm) for the ozone profile and SO2 products, a UVIS band (320 - 500 nm) for O₃, NO₂, BrO, HCHO and OClO total columns, a NIR band (675 - 775 nm) for clouds and H₂O columns and a SWIR band (2305 - 2385 nm) for CH₄ and CO columns and the HDO/H₂O ratio. The paper will give an overview of the challenges and current performances. The TROPOMI UVN module is funded by the Netherlands and the SWIR module and platform is provided via ESA. The instrument development is now a truly European programme with contributions from several countries.

The Imaging IR Limb Sounder (IRLS) is one of the two instruments planned on board of the candidate Earth Explorer Core Mission PREMIER. PREMIER stands for PRocess Exploration through Measurements of Infrared and Millimetrewave Emitted Radiation and is presently under feasibility study by ESA. Emerging from recent enhanced detector and processing technologies IRLS shall, next to a millimetre-wave limb sounder, explore the benefits of three-dimensional limb sounding with embedded cloud imaging capability. Such 3d imaging technology is expected to open a new era of limb sounding that will allow detailed studies of the link between atmospheric composition and climate, since it will map simultaneously fields of temperature and many trace gases in the mid/upper troposphere and stratosphere across a large vertical and horizontal field of view and with relatively high vertical and horizontal resolution. PREMIER shall fly in tandem formation looking backwards to METOP's swath and thereby explore the benefit of 3-dimensional information for meteorological/environmental analyses and climate forcing investigations. As currently planned and if implemented, IRLS will cover a total horizontal field of about 360 km and observe the limb at altitudes between 4 and 52 km. The vertical spatial sampling distance (SSD) will be well below 1 km. It will be run in two different exclusive modes to address scientific questions about atmospheric dynamics and chemistry at spectral samplings of ~1.2 cm^-1 and ~0.2 cm^-1, respectively. In such configuration IRLS will be composed of an imaging array with about 1800 macro pixels or sub-samples, thereby allowing cloud imaging and rejection at sufficient spatial resolution. We will present an overview of the instrument requirements as derived from the scientific requirements, the present status of the mission, and we will give an overview of the currently identified technology needs and instrument predevelopments.

This paper introduces the Aalto-1 remote sensing nanosatellite, which is being built under the coordination of The Department of Radio Science and Engineering of Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering. The satellite is a three unit CubeSat, and it will be mostly built by students. The satellite platform is designed to house several payloads, and the main payload of the Aalto-1 mission will be the world's smallest hyperspectral imager while secondary payloads being a compact radiation monitor and an electrostatic plasma brake for de-orbiting.

SPEX (Spectropolarimeter for Planetary Exploration) was developed in close cooperation between scientific institutes and space technological industries in the Netherlands. It is used for measuring microphysical properties of aerosols and cloud particles in planetary atmospheres. SPEX utilizes a number of novel ideas. The key feature is that full linear spectropolarimetry can be performed without the use of moving parts, using an instrument of approximately 1 liter in volume. This is done by encoding the degree and angle of linear polarization (DoLP and AoLP) of the incoming light in a sinusoidal modulation of the intensity spectrum. Based on this principle, and after gaining experience from breadboard measurements using the same principle, a fully functional prototype was constructed. The functionality and the performance of the prototype were shown by extensive testing. The simulated results and the laboratory measurements show striking agreement. SPEX would be a valuable addition to any mission that aims to study the composition and structure of planetary atmospheres, for example, missions to Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Titan. In addition, on an Earth-orbiting satellite, SPEX could give unique information on particles in our own atmosphere.

Four programs, i.e. TRMM, AMSR-E, ASTER, and GOSAT are going on in Japanese Earth Observation programs. ASTER has lost its short wave infrared channels, but other satellites/sensors are operating well, and TRMM operation will be continued at least up to 2012. ADEOS2 was failed, but AMSR-E on Aqua is operating. ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) was successfully launched on 24^th Jan. 2006. ALOS carries three instruments, i.e., PRISM (Panchromatic Remote Sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping), AVNIR-2 (Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer), and PALSAR (Phased Array L band Synthetic Aperture Radar). PRISM is a 3 line panchromatic push broom scanner with 2.5m IFOV. AVNIR-2 is a 4 channel multi spectral scanner with 10m IFOV. PALSAR is a full polarimetric active phased array L-band SAR. PALSAR has many observation modes including full polarimetric mode and scan SAR mode. Unfortunately, ALOS has stopped its operation on 22^nd, April, 2011 by power loss. GOSAT (Greenhouse Gas Observation Satellite) was successfully launched on 29, January, 2009. GOSAT carries 2 instruments, i.e. a green house gas sensor (TANSO-FTS) and a cloud/aerosol imager (TANSO-CAI). The main sensor is a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) and covers 0.76 to 15 μm region with 0.2 to 0.5 cm-1 resolution. SMILES (Super-conducting Millimeter wave Emission Spectrometer) was launched on September 2009 to ISS and started the observation, but stopped its operation on April 2010. After the unfortunate accident of ADEOS2, JAXA still have plans of Earth observation programs. Next generation satellites will be launched in 2011-2014 timeframe. They are, GCOMW and GCOM-C (ADEOS-2 follow on), and GPM (Global Precipitation Mission) core satellite. GPM is a joint project with NASA and will carry two instruments. JAXA will develop DPR (Dual frequency Precipitation Radar) which is a follow on of PR on TRMM. Another project is EarthCare. It is a joint project with ESA and JAXA is going to provide CPR (Cloud Profiling Radar). ALOS F/O satellites are divided into two satellites, i.e. SAR and optical satellites. The first one of ALOS F/O is called ALOS 2 and will carry L-band SAR, while second one is called ALOS3 and will carry optical sensors.

The ASTER is a high-resolution optical sensor for observing the Earth on the Terra satellite launched in December1999. The ASTER consists of three radiometers. The VNIR has three bands in the visible and near-infrared region, the SWIR has six bands in the shortwave infrared region, and the TIR has five bands in the thermal infrared region. The onboard calibration devices of the VNIR and SWIR were halogen lamps and photodiode monitors. In orbit three bands of the VNIR showed a rapid decrease in the output signal. The band 1, the shortest wavelength, decreased most to 70% in eleven years. The VNIR spectra of the responsivity degradation were compared to other sensors, the JERS-1 OPS, the OCTS, the Hyperion, the MODIS, the MISR and the SPOT. The temperature of the onboard blackbody of the TIR is varied from 270 K to 340 K in the long term calibration for the offset and gain calibration. The long term calibration of the TIR showed a decrease in response after launch. The decrease was most remarkable at band 12 decreasing to 60% in eleven years. The degradation spectra of the TIR shows that the possible causes of the degradation might be silicone and hydrazine.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) performed disaster monitoring of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS), "Daichi," acquired 450 scenes of disaster monitoring of the earthquake. JAXA also received more than 5,000 scenes via the International Disaster Charter and Sentinel Asia. JAXA analyzed these images and provided the results to the Government of Japan as well as to the local governments.

To monitor the global column concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from space, the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) was launched on January 23, 2009. The Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation Fourier-Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) and Cloud and Aerosol Imager (TANSO-CAI) are onboard GOSAT to derive the precise amount of CO2 and CH4 in the earth's atmosphere. The first high spectral resolution SWIR spectra by TANSO-FTS and the image by TANSO-CAI were acquired on Feb. 7, 2009. TANSO has been continuously measuring CO₂ and CH₄ distributions globally every three days, and data distribution to the public has started from Feb. 16, 2010. Over two year operation periods, the radiometric, geometric and spectroscopic characterizations of TANSO have been continuously conducted with updating the Level-1 processing algorithm. Timeseries of radiometric, geometric and spectroscopic response were determined and performed with on-orbit and vicarious calibrations. In the updated Level-1 processing, the newly developed correction algorithm for micro-vibration effects is operationally installed and improved the accuracy of medium gain condition. In this presentation, the detail of on-orbit characterization and the current status of TANSO will be described..

During the 2.5 year operation of GOSAT (Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite), NIES GOSAT DHF (GOSAT Data Handling Facility of National Institute for Environmental Studies) has been producing CAI Level 1B and 1B+, FTS Level 2 SWIR (column amount of CO2 and CH₄), CAI Level 2 (cloud flag ), FTS Level 3 products (global map of XCO2, XCH4,) and CAI Level 3 (global radiance and global reflectance), receiving FTS Level 1A/1B, and CAI Level 1A data from JAXA (FTS: Fourier Transform Spectrometer; CAI: Cloud and Aerosol Imager, JAXA: Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency). In addition, FTS Level 2 TIR are released to RA users. FTS Level 3 TIR, and Level 4A and 4B products (emission/absorption and 3D global distribution of CO2) will be released in the near future.. Since the FTS Level 2 SWIR data have been accumulated more than 2.5 years, global trends can be observed, while the validation results show negative bias of 2 to 3 % for CO₂ and negative bias of 1 to 2 % for CH₄. A comparison with the results by different algorithms is also conducted. All the mentioned data products are distributed through a website, the GOSAT User Interface Gateway (GUIG), and users of the products include the researchers responded to the three Research Announcements (RA) and general users (GU). Number of the RA users exceeds 100 and that for GU exceeds 1100.

Continuous validation of data observed by satellites, such as Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT), is important to qualify the long-term trends of greenhouse gases. High-precision data over the restricted region measured by ground-based high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometers (g-b FTS), airborne in-situ instruments, and flask sampling devices have been used for the validation of satellite data. As part of CAL/VAL (Calibration/Validation) activities of the GOSAT, airborne flight campaigns were performed over Tsukuba and Moshiri using the ground-based FTS, airborne in-situ and flask devices, and 1.57-μm Laser Absorption Sensor (LAS). Airborne flask sampling and insitu carbon dioxide (CO₂) sensors were carried out to obtain vertical profiles of the CO₂ mixing ratio while ground-based FTS and LAS measured solar direct spectra and weighted column-averaged CO₂, respectively. Those results were used to decide a calibration factor of the ground-based FTS and compared with GOSAT products over Tsukuba. We will report the comparison results of the aircraft campaign measurements and the retrieval value from the FTS.

On-orbit performance of the radio spectrometer of SMILES is discussed. We focused on the telemetry data of photodiode current, laser diode current, and laser diode operating temperature. The data showed degradation trend as the mission went on. This is due to a wear-out phenomenon of commercially available laser diode, which is used as the light source of the radio spectrometer. Since the laser diodes have a certain lifetime, both screening procedure and operating condition for them must be properly defined and implemented for ensuring a good performance of the spectrometer throughout designed mission life. For these purposes, we conducted several kinds of qualification tests including an accelerated life time test during design phase, and expected life time of the laser diode was derived on the basis of these test results. In this paper, the results from the qualification tests at ground and the actual performance on orbit with the telemetry and mission data will be presented.

New level 2 products v2.0 of JEM/SMILES are scheduled to be released in Sep., 2011. This will be the first publicreleased version. In pre-released product v1.3, positive bias of retrieved temperature in the stratosphere was the largest issue since temperature is basic parameter which characterizes the atmospheric structure. The new product use latest L1B 007 which includes gain nonlinearity effect of receivers, bias of temperature in upper stratosphere is suppressed. In addition, we stopped temperature retrieval above 40km and refer MLS temperature product with applying migrating tidal model. HCl profiles in mesosphere become constant, which supports this temperature processing.

The Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) consists of two polar orbiting satellite observing systems, GCOM-W (Water) and GCOM-C (Climate), and three generations to achieve global and long-term monitoring of the Earth. GCOM-W1 is the first satellite of the GCOM-W series and scheduled to be launched in Japanese fiscal year 2011. The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR2) will be the mission instrument of GCOM-W1. AMSR2 will extend the observation of currently ongoing AMSR-E on EOS Aqua platform. Development of GCOM-W1 and AMSR2 is progressing on schedule. Proto-flight test (PFT) of AMSR2 was completed and delivered to the GCOM-W1 satellite system. Currently, the GCOM-W1 system is under PFT at Tsukuba Space Center until summer 2011 before shipment to launch site, Tanegashima Space Center. Development of retrieval algorithms has been also progressing with the collaboration of the principal investigators. Based on the algorithm comparison results, at-launch standard algorithms were selected and implemented into the processing system. These algorithms will be validated and updated during the initial calibration and validation phase. As an instrument calibration activity, a deep space calibration maneuver is planned during the initial checkout phase, to confirm the consistency of cold sky calibration and intra-scan biases. Maintaining and expanding the validation sites are also ongoing activities. A flux tower observing instruments will be introduced into the Murray-Darling basin in Australia, where the validation of other soil moisture instruments (e.g., SMOS and SMAP) is planned.

The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite is being developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). The GPM is a follow-on mission of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The objectives of the GPM mission are to observe global precipitation more frequently and accurately than TRMM. The frequent precipitation measurement about every three hours will be achieved by some constellation satellites with microwave radiometers (MWRs) or microwave sounders (MWSs), which will be developed by various countries. The accurate measurement of precipitation in mid-high latitudes will be achieved by the DPR. The GPM core satellite is a joint product of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), JAXA and NICT. NASA is developing the satellite bus and the GPM microwave radiometer (GMI), and JAXA and NICT are developing the DPR. JAXA and NICT are developing the DPR through procurement. The contract for DPR is NEC TOSHIBA Space Systems, Ltd. The proto-flight test for DPR started in November 2010. The status of proto-flight test of DPR will be presented.

The Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) carries the state-of-the-art L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) called PALSAR-2. PALSAR-2 has a Spotlight mode (1 to 3 m), a Stripmap mode (3 to 10 m) and a ScanSAR mode, whilst PALSAR onboard ALOS had 10 m spatial resolution at best. The new technologies, such as maximum bandwidth allocation for L-band SAR, the spotlight mode with Active Phased Array Antenna, high power efficiency device of GaN and chirp modulation technique, have been verified by testing its Engineering Model (EM). The critical design of ALOS-2 including PALSAR-2 was completed in June 2011. This paper describes current development status of ALOS-2 and brief results of EM.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is planning a satellite system for the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) "Daichi" follow-on program. ALOS-3 will succeed the ALOS missions with enhanced capabilities. ALOS-3 will carry optical sensors and be capable of collecting images with high-resolution (0.8 m) and wide-swath (50 km). ALOS-3 will also acquire stereoscopic imageries by two telescopes. These are ideally capable for collecting the large-scale geographical information that is used in many practical applications, including disaster management support. JAXA has been conducting the conceptual design for the ALOS-3 and its mission instruments. This paper introduces outline of the spacecraft and the instruments.

HISUI (Hyper-spectral Imager SUIte), which is the next Japanese earth observation project, has been developed under the contract with Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry(METI) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization(NEDO). HISUI is composed of hyper-spectral sensor and multi-spectral sensor. The hyperspectral sensor is an imaging spectrometer with two separate spectral channels: one for the VNIR range from 400 to 970 nm and the other for the SWIR range from 900 to 2500 nm. Ground sampling distance is 30 m with spatial swath width of 30 km. The spectral sampling will be better than 10 nm in the VNIR and 12.5 nm in the SWIR. The multi-spectral sensor has four VNIR spectral bands with spatial resolution of 5m and swath width of 90 km. HISUI will be installed in ALOS-3 that is an earth observing satellite in the project formation phase by JAXA in FY 2015. This paper is concerned with the retrieval of spectral response functions (SRF) for the hyper-spectral sensor. The center wavelength and bandwidth of spectral response functions of hyper-spectral sensor may shift and broaden due to the distortion in the spectrometer, the optics and the detector assembly. Therefore it is necessary to measure or estimate the deviation of the wavelength and the bandwidth broadening of the SRFs. In this paper, we describe the methods of retrieval of the SRF's parameters (Gaussian functions assumed) by means of onboard calibration sources and we show some simulation's results and the usefulness of this method.

Laboratory calibration of electro-optical sensors is preferably complemented by regular in-flight verification. This checks whether the lab calibration parameters remain valid or recalibration is necessary. In-flight verification can be achieved by vicarious calibration using in-flight measurements of calibration targets. We intend to identify and design a set of suitable radiometric calibration targets. For this, we borrow from expertise gained with the PROBA-V satellite calibration system, which uses multiple vicarious methods relying on diverse natural on-ground targets. Besides reflectance based calibration using ground measurements, the PROBA-V calibration methods are unproven for use in airborne calibration. The selected targets should be suitable for the calibration of both multispectral and hyperspectral imagers. We start from general requirements for radiometric targets and investigate their applicability to airborne calibration. From this we identify two possible sets of natural calibration sites in Belgium. One set, located in the Campine region, contains small water bodies and sandy lakesides. Another set is located in the Westhoek region near the Belgian coast. It offers better suitable water bodies, as well as sandy areas, grass fields and dark targets. Airborne calibration lends itself to the use of smaller artifical targets. We propose to complement the natural targets with a portable target consisting of agricultural nets with different densities. The definition of sets of calibration targets, both natural and artificial can facilitate the investigation of the usability of vicarious targets and method for inflight radiometric verification.

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Airborne Sounder Testbed- Interferometer (NAST-I) instrument is a high-resolution scanning interferometer that measures emitted thermal radiation between 3.3 and 18 microns. The NAST-I radiometric calibration is achieved using internal blackbody calibration references at ambient and hot temperatures. In this paper, we introduce a refined calibration technique that utilizes a principal component (PC) noise filter to minimize the impact of measurement noise on the calibration of Earth scene radiance spectra. To test the procedure and estimate the PC filter noise performance, we form dependent and independent test samples using odd and even sets of blackbody spectra. To determine the optimal number of eigenvectors, the PC filter algorithm is applied to both dependent and independent blackbody spectra with a varying number of eigenvectors. The optimal number of PCs is selected so that the total root-mean-square (RMS) error of the calibrated reference scene blackbody data is minimized. To estimate the filter noise performance, we examine four different scenarios: apply PC filtering to both dependent and independent datasets, apply PC filtering to dependent calibration data only, apply PC filtering to independent data only, and no PC filtering. The independent blackbody radiances are predicted for each case and comparisons are made. The results show significant reduction in noise in the final calibrated scene radiances with the implementation of the PC filtering algorithm.

Satellite instruments operating in the reflective solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the Bidirectional Reflectance Factor (BRF) of laboratory-based diffusers used in their pre-flight and on-orbit radiometric calibrations. BRF measurements are required throughout the reflected-solar spectrum from the ultraviolet through the shortwave infrared. Spectralon diffusers are commonly used as a reflectance standard for bidirectional and hemispherical geometries. The Diffuser Calibration Laboratory (DCaL) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is a secondary calibration facility with reflectance measurements traceable to those made by the Spectral Tri-function Automated Reference Reflectometer (STARR) facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). For more than two decades, the DCaL has provided numerous NASA projects with BRF data in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS) and the Near InfraRed (NIR) spectral regions. Presented in this paper are measurements of BRF from 1475 nm to 1625 nm obtained using an indium gallium arsenide detector and a tunable coherent light source. The sample was a 50.8 mm (2 in) diameter, 99% white Spectralon target. The BRF results are discussed and compared to empirically generated data from a model based on NIST certified values of 6°directional-hemispherical spectral reflectance factors from 900 nm to 2500 nm. Employing a new NIST capability for measuring bidirectional reflectance using a cooled, extended InGaAs detector, BRF calibration measurements of the same sample were also made using NIST's STARR from 1475 nm to 1625 nm at an incident angle of 0° and at viewing angle of 45°. The total combined uncertainty for BRF in this ShortWave Infrared (SWIR) range is less than 1%. This measurement capability will evolve into a BRF calibration service in SWIR region in support of NASA remote sensing missions.

This paper presents the self-emission models for infrared radiometers and analyzes the interrelationship between instrument self-emission, detector nonlinearity, and intercept and gain variations using both MetOp/HIRS prelaunch and post-launch data. HIRS has 19 infrared channels and 1 visible channel. The warm filters and other components makes the self-emission the majority of the total radiance detected. The thermal-equilibrium condition in pre-launch thermal vacuum allows us to evaluate the self-emission using a simplified model. It was found that the self-emission contributions at the detectors are in the range of 95% to 97%. A more comprehensive self-emission model is developed for the post-launch instrument by considering its thermal complexity, and the model is used to analyze the on-orbit instrument self-emission. The self-emission contributions are found in the range of 96% to 99% post-launch, and the difference between the pre-launch and post-launch is discussed. The on-orbit calibration of the HIRS infrared channels is performed every 40 scan lines using instrument responses to the views of the internal calibration target and cold deep space. The twopoint calibration provides a slope and an intercept for each channel. The instrument self-emission variation makes both coefficients deviate from their calibration value, and if uncorrected, can lead to errors in Earth radiance retrieval. The quantifications of these variations provide guidelines for on-orbit calibration algorithm improvement. Potential applications of both pre-launch and post-launch self-emission models to other infrared radiometers and sounders, and the impact assessment in general, are also discussed.

MODIS-Terra is one of the key sensors in the suite of remote sensing instruments in the Earth Observing System (EOS). MODIS on the Terra platform was launched into orbit in December of 1999 and has successfully completed eleven plus years of operation. MODIS has 36 spectral channels with wavelengths varying from 0.4 μm to 14.4 μm. The native spatial resolutions for the reflective channels are 2 bands at 0.25 km, 5 bands at 0.5 km and 29 bands at 1km. However, the MODIS L1B product allows the high spatial resolution bands to be aggregated into 1km resolution. All the thermal channels in MODIS (i.e. 3.75μm - 14.24μm) have a native spatial resolution of 1 km. Over the eleven plus years of mission lifetime, the sensor degradation has been carefully monitored using various On-Board Calibrators (OBC). In particular, the thermal channels are monitored using the on-board Black-Body (BB) which is traceable to NIST standards. MODIS also has a unique feature for calibration reference in terms of lunar irradiance. The lunar observations are scheduled for MODIS periodically (at least 9 observations in a calendar year). Based on the lunar observations, it was found that there was a possible signal leak for band 27 from its neighboring bands located on the Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) focal plane. Further investigations revealed a possible leak from bands 28, 29 and 30. The magnitude of the leak was trended and correction coefficients were derived. In this paper, we demonstrate the across-band signal leak in MODIS band 27, its potential impact on the retrieved Brightness temperature (B.T.). Also, the paper explores a correction methodology to relieve the artifacts due to the across-band signal leak. Finally, the improvement in the band 27 image quality is quantified.

MODIS on-orbit calibration activities include the use of the on-board solar diffuser (SD), SD stability monitor (SDSM) and regularly scheduled lunar observations for the Reflective Solar Bands (RSB) radiometric calibration. Normally, the SD door is closed when there is no SD/SDSM observation to avoid the unnecessary illumination of the sunlight on the SD, which causes the SD degradation. The SD is illuminated over a very short period of time when the spacecraft crosses from the night side to the day side. To implement a SD/SDSM calibration, the SD door needs to be open and the SDSM needs to be turned on during the short period of time when the SD is illuminated. A planning tool is needed to predict the exact times for the opening and closing of SD door and SDSM on/off operations of SDSM for each SD/SDSM calibration. The tool is also needed for MODIS yaw maneuvers implemented for SD bi-direction reflectance factor (BRF) validation and SD screen vignetting function (VF) derivation. MODIS observes the Moon through its space view (SV) port. To increase the opportunity for more lunar observations and to keep the lunar phase angle in a selected narrow range that minimizes the view geometric effect on the observed lunar irradiance, a spacecraft roll maneuver is allowed and implemented for MODIS lunar observations. A lunar observation planning tool is required to predict the time and roll angle needed for each lunar observation in the selected phase angle range. The tool is also needed to determine the phase angle range such that the MODIS can view the Moon in as many months as possible each year with the phase angle in the range. The MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) is responsible for MODIS instrument operation and calibration. We have developed a set of tools to address these needs and have successfully applied them to both Terra and Aqua MODIS. In this paper, we describe the design methodologies and the implementation of the tools. The tools have also been applied to VIIRS and can be applied to other remote sensors.

MODIS has 20 reflective solar bands (RSB) in the visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR), and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral regions. In addition to instrument on-board calibrators (OBC), lunar observations have been used by both Terra and Aqua MODIS to track their reflective solar bands (RSB) on-orbit calibration stability. On a near monthly basis, lunar observations are scheduled and implemented for each instrument at nearly the same lunar phase angles. A time series of normalized detector responses to the Moon is used to monitor its on-orbit calibration stability. The normalization is applied to correct the differences of lunar viewing geometries and the Sun-Moon-Sensor distances among different lunar observations. Initially, the lunar calibration stability monitoring was only applied to MODIS bands (1-4 and 8-12) that do not saturate while viewing the Moon. As the mission continued, we extended the lunar calibration stability monitoring to other RSB bands (bands 13-16) that contain saturated pixels. For these bands, the calibration stability is monitored by referencing their non-saturated pixels to the matched pixels in a non-saturation band. In this paper, we describe this relative approach and apply it to MODIS regularly scheduled lunar observations. We present lunar trending results for both Terra and Aqua MODIS over their entire missions. Also discussed in the paper are the advantages and limitations of this approach and its potential applications to other earth-observing sensors.

MODIS has 20 Reflective Solar Bands (RSB), covering a spectral range from 0.41 μm to 2.2 μm. Accurate on-orbit calibration of MODIS RSB observations is required for generating high-quality data products. MODIS RSB calibration is performed on-orbit using its on-board calibrators (OBCs), including a Solar Diffuser (SD), a Solar Diffuser Stability Monitor (SDSM), and a Spectroradiometric Calibration Assembly (SRCA). Since MODIS views the Earth's surface over a wide range of angles of incidence (AOI) to the scan mirror, on-orbit changes in its response versus scan-angle (RVS) also need to be accurately characterized and corrected. Current algorithms that describe on-orbit changes in the RSB RVS are based on the SD/SDSM, Moon and SRCA observations as well as the Earth view (EV) responses in terms of mirror side (MS) ratios. Time dependent RVS look-up tables (LUT) are produced and updated on a regular basis for the Level 1B (L1B) data production. In support of upcoming MODIS collection 6 data reprocessing, several new approaches have also been developed and examined by the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST), either by using different combinations of data sets, treating each mirror side independently, or normalizing to a different AOI. All these approaches fit the data at each AOI over time and then derive the relative changes at different AOIs. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach for the RSB onorbit RVS characterization and present its preliminary results. This approach fits the data first over AOI and then over time. For comparison purposes, data sets from a single EV target and that from multiple targets are used to derive the RSB RVS. Results from this study have demonstrated that this alternative approach can also be used effectively for the on-orbit characterization of MODIS RSB RVS.

The paper describes the change in methodology for the determination of the long term radiometric trending (gain degradation) used in the 3^rd MERIS mission reprocessing. An overview of the instrument, the principles of its radiometric calibration and an outline of the calibration processing chain are presented, a review of the trending approach taken for the 2^nd MERIS mission reprocessing is provided and its limitations shown. The results from the more robust trending approach taken for the 3^rd MERIS reprocessing are provided and compared to these of the 2^nd MERIS reprocessing.

Many line-scan remote sensing sensors utilize multiple stages of time delay and integration to enhance the final image signal-to-noise ratio. The swath width of these systems can be limited by optical distortion, which causes nonlinear image scanning and results in image smear at the edge of the field-of-view (FOV). Newly developed orthogonal transfer charge-coupled device arrays, with the ability to shift pixel charges in any direction, can be used to compensate for the smear caused by optical distortion in this scenario. In this paper we present example results for this approach with simulated data from a wide FOV sensor.

Multispectral channels are required on many pushbroom optical sensors. A possible technology well suited for focal plane miniaturization is to assemble several sliced filter elements (so-called stripes), each corresponding to one spectral channel, and located close to the detectors. The assembled filter is thus customized to fit detector size. These stripes are cut from a wafer using a two dimensional accurate process. For the baseline concept, elementary stripes are then cemented edge-to-edge to form a single substrate. The opaque epoxy used for the stripes assembly creates a light barrier between adjacent elements and thus provides an interesting solution for cross channel image suppression inside the filter. This paper recalls the current SODERN's multi-spectral filter assembly status. Since 2007 R&T activity, the feasibility and the performances have been demonstrated by breadboards and qualification models. The selection of SODERN for two current VNIR space programs consolidates its role as a leading supplier in this field. A complementary 2011 R&T study will demonstrate the performances of this technology for the TIR range and the integration on a bolometer.

Some 2D imagers based on AlGaN materials have been developed in the framework of a CNES founded research program to sustain visible blind imagers devoted to solar physics. We have already presented several prototypes of focal plane arrays extending the range of detection from near UV to deep UV [1, 2]. It consists in an array of 320x256 pixels of Schottky photodiodes with a pitch of 30 μm. AlGaN is grown on a silicon substrate instead of sapphire substrate only transparent down to 200 nm. The use of honeycomb structure has straightened the membrane after hybridization, maintained membrane integrity but decreases the filling factor. After a preliminary study to optimize substrate and AlGaN window layer elimination, 12 focal plane arrays have been fabricated in order to achieve aging and reliability tests based on thermal cycling. Technological analyses such as cross-section, profilometry, microscopy and electrical measurements are presented without showing any ageing effect. We present here the final results with a complete evaluation of quantum efficiency on all the spectral range of interest. A large intrinsic absorption in AlGaN takes place in the 100 nm range where the quantum efficiency decreases down to 1%. Several growth parameters are identified as a key component to avoid cracks in the epitaxial structure and surface electrical traps affecting the quantum efficiency.

Thanks to the high transmission coefficient of short infrared wavelengths in the atmosphere and specific contrasts, SWIR imaging is an attractive technology for space applications such as astronomical or earth observation. Detection module must demonstrate high uniformity, sensitivity and resolution combined with compactness to meet the needs of this application field. Image sensors based on InGaAs photodiodes arrays present very low dark currents even at ambient temperature as high quality materials can be grown on InP substrates. Besides, the suppression of InP substrate after hybridization is a way to extend the detection range towards visible wavelengths. These properties result in a new generation of sensitive, compact and multifunctional InGaAs detection modules. In this paper, we describe the performances of an uncooled VGA InGaAs module recently developed. The 640x512 array with a pitch of 15μm allows high resolution images. The excellent crystalline quality induces very low dark current densities at ambient temperature. The readout circuit is based on a capacitive trans-impedance amplifier with correlated double sampling resulting in low readout noise figure. This compact module appears as a serious alternative to the existing technologies for low light level imaging in the [0.4μm-1.7μm] spectral range.

Backside illuminated (BSI) hybrid CMOS image sensors possessing excellent spectral response (> 80% between 400nm-800nm) have been previously reported by us. Particularly challenging with BSI imagers is to combine such sensitivity, with low electrical inter-pixel crosstalk (or charge-dispersion). Employing thick bulk silicon (in BSI) to maximize red response results in large crosstalk especially for blue light. In the second generation of these imagers, we undertook the exercise of solving the crosstalk problem by a two-pronged approach: a) an optimized epitaxial substrate that was engineered to maximize the internal electric field b) high aspect ratio trenches (30 μm deep) with carefully tailored sidewall passivation. The results show that the proposed optimizations are effective in curtailing crosstalk without having a major impact on other sensor parameters.

The Broadband Radiometer (BBR) is an instrument being developed for the ESA EarthCARE satellite. The BBR instrument is led by SEA in the UK with RAL responsible for the BBR optics unit (OU) while EADS Astrium is the EarthCARE prime contractor. The BBR detectors consist of three dedicated assemblies under the responsibility of INO. The detectors development started in 2008 and led to the design and implementation of a new gold black deposition facility at INO, in parallel with the preliminary and detailed design phases of the detector assemblies. As of today, two breadboard models and one engineering model have been delivered to RAL. The engineering qualification model manufacturing activities are on-going. This paper first provides an overview of the detectors assembly and principles of operation, with emphasis given to processes developed for the assembly and integration of the detectors. Detector-level qualification planning is finally discussed.

Space activity at SOFRADIR has been build for years, growing and strengthening, by relying on 25 years of experience in development and production of 2^nd and 3^rd generation MCT infrared detectors, and through major space programs. Thanks to its capabilities and experience, SOFRADIR is now able to offer high reliability infrared detectors for space applications. These detectors cover various kinds of applications like hyperspectral observation, earth observations for meteorological or scientific purpose and science experiments. In this paper, a presentation of SOFRADIR main space programs and space products answering customer needs from visible up to VLWIR waveband will be made.

We report here first results carried out at CEA and Sofradir to build ultra low dark current focal plane arrays (FPA) in the short wave infrared range (SWIR) for space applications. Those FPAs are dedicated to very low flux detection in the 2μm wavelength range. In this purpose, Sofradir has designed a source follower per detector readout circuit (ROIC), 384x288, 15μm pitch. This ROIC has been hybridized on different HgCdTe diode configurations processed at CEALETI and low flux characterisations have been carried out at CEA-SAp at low temperature (from 60 to 160K). Both p/n and n/p structures have been evaluated. The metallurgical nature of the absorbing layer is also examined and both molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) have been processed. Dark current measurements are discussed in comparison with previous results from the literature. State of the art dark currents are recorded for temperatures higher than 120K. At temperatures lower than 100K, the decrease in dark current saturates for both technologies. In this regime, currents between 0.4 and 0.06 e/s/pixel are reported.

Sofradir is involved in the manufacturing of detectors which cover a large range of wavelengths in the infrared domain from SWIR up to VLWIR for different kind of applications. Thus, different types of ROIC architectures are needed to cover these various kind of applications and operating conditions. As a major player of the infrared market, Sofradir has developed numerous ROIC with architectures enabling to answer most of the infrared applications in tactical, commercial and space domains. Sofradir is now able to present a new detector (384x288 with a 15 μm pitch) especially designed for very low flux applications in the SWIR domain (as astronomy for example). This new ROIC has been developed with CNES support and includes a SFD (Source Follower per Detectors) input stage enabling to achieve a high gain as well as a low readout noise and a vey low power consumption. In this paper, we will describe the architecture and functionalities of this new detector. Then, electro-optical characterizations and results will be described. Finally, main applications of this kind of detectors will be presented.

The Canadian Space Agency issued, in 2007, a Request for Proposals on The Atmospheric Processes on Climate and its Changes (APOCC). Innovative mission concepts were selected on the basis that they: Lead to new scientific understanding of atmospheric processes that regulate Earth's climate; Address questions of particular importance for northern latitudes; Build on Canada's experience and capacity in atmospheric science; Complement/ be synergistic with planned international missions. With the concept studies finished, the foreseen way forward is to issue support initiatives to develop those reformulated concepts that combine the most promising ideas in several affordable instrument contributions and Canadian spacecraft missions. This paper presents the rationale for the continued implementation of the APOCC initiative.

The TICFIRE mission concept developed with the support of the Canadian Space Agency aims: 1) to improve measurements of water-vapour concentration in the low limit, where cold regions are most sensitive and 2) to determine the contribution of Thin Ice Clouds (TIC) to the energy balance and the role of their microphysical properties on atmospheric cooling. TICFIRE is a process-oriented mission on a micro-satellite platform dedicated to observe key parameters of TIC forming in the cold regions of the Poles and globally, in the upper troposphere. It locates cloud top profiles at the limb and measures at nadir the corresponding upwelling radiance of the atmosphere directly in the thermal window and in the Far Infrared (FIR) spectrum over cold geographical regions, precisely where most of the atmospheric thermal cooling takes place. Due to technological limitations, the FIR spectrum (17 to 50 μm) is not regularly monitored by conventional sensors despite its major importance. This deficiency in key data also impacts operational weather forecasting. TICFIRE will provide on a global scale a needed contribution in calibrated radiance assimilation near the IR maximum emission to improve weather forecast. TICFIRE is therefore a science-driven mission with a strong operational component. The TICFIRE payload consists of two instruments; the main one being a Nadir-looking multiband radiometer based on uncooled microbolometer technology and covering a large spectral range from 7.9 μm to 50 μm. The secondary one is an imager that performs Limb measurements and provides cloud vertical structure information. This paper presents the key payload requirements, the conceptual design, and the estimated performance of the TICFIRE payload. Current technology developments in support to the mission are also presented.

An imaging test bed has been constructed for exploring the design considerations for selecting the appropriate image sampling or Q for electro-optical earth imaging systems where Q is defined as (λf/#) / pixel pitch. The test bed includes errors such as image smear and shot noise produced by atmospheric haze. The value of Q can be varied by either changing the focal length of the imaging system or by varying the imaging aperture diameter. All of these parameters are varied to understand the effects on image quality. In this paper we explore practical design considerations for selecting Q for an electro-optical earth imaging system. In particular we will focus on image degradation caused by increasing Q by reducing the imaging aperture diameter.

Understanding the earth's climate and collecting the requisite signatures over the next 10, 20, 30 years is a shared mandate by many of the world's governments. But there remains a daunting challenge to bridge scientific missions to 'operational' systems that truly support the demands of decision makers, scientific investigators and global users' requirements for trusted data. For this Part III paper, we will examine the required components of a coupled modeling framework to perform, with benefit of adjoint constraints , optimal forward modeling of the climate's GHG's for both demonstration and verification. Interrogating such forward modeling in detail will help uncover the most efficient and sufficient set of critical climate parameters & metrics needed to systematic capture and attribute climate monitoring environmental records. This in turn would allow globally trusted algorithms to produce climate products that the world's governments can use to most accurately assess man's impacts on earth's climate and promote informed decisions sustaining the earth's ability to support life. This paper is the climate modeling based extension to two earlier papers from 2009 & 2010.

We report on an ultra-precise manufacturing method of a hyperspectral, mirror based IR-Telescope for applications in the Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR). The proposed method simplifies the otherwise time consuming system alignment by the use of a snap-together assembly technique, that can be used for rotationally symmetric designs such as Korsch or Three Mirror Anastigmatic (TMA) telescope designs. The proposed technology is based on diamond machining of at least two mirror surfaces on one common substrate in one and the same machine setup. A novel hybrid manufacturing approach, which is a combination of diamond turning and diamond milling is used to manufacture fiducials and mounting planes that reduce the adjustment expenditure significantly. Reference elements and interfaces on the substrates are the basis for a precise metrology of the shape and the position of the optical surfaces as well as for the final assembly of the optical bench. The system integration into a hexapod framework is also based on precisely diamond machined stop surfaces to define the air distance and tilt between the mirrors. The presented method is a novel manufacturing and mounting technology for IR-telescope assemblies with diffraction limited optical performance in the MWIR.

Understanding the dynamics of the global carbon cycle is one of the most challenging issues for the scientific community. The ability to measure the magnitude of terrestrial carbon sinks as well as monitoring the short and long term changes is vital for environmental decision making. Forests form a significant part of the terrestrial biosystem and understanding the global carbon cycle, Above Ground Biomass (AGB) and Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) are critical parameters. Current estimates of AGB and GPP are not adequate to support models of the global carbon cycle and more accurate estimates would improve predictions of the future and estimates of the likely behaviour of these sinks. Various vegetation indices have been proposed for the characterisation of forests including canopy height, canopy area, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI). Both NDVI and PRI are obtained from a measure of reflectivity at specific wavelengths and have been estimated from passive measurements. The use of multi-spectral LiDAR to measure NDVI and PRI and their vertical distribution within the forest represents a significant improvement over current techniques. This paper describes an approach to the design of an advanced Multi- Spectral Canopy LiDAR, using four wavelengths for measuring the vertical profile of the canopy simultaneously. It is proposed that the instrument be placed on a satellite orbiting the Earth on a sun synchronous polar orbit to provide samples on a rectangular grid at an approximate separation of 1km with a suitable revisit frequency. The systems engineering concept design will be presented.

The NPOESS / NASA Airborne Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I) is a well-proven airborne remote sensing system, which has flown in 18 previous field campaigns aboard the high altitude NASA ER-2, Northrop Grumman / Scaled Composites Proteus, and NASA WB-57 aircraft since initially being flight qualified in 1998. While originally developed to provide experimental observations needed to finalize specifications and test proposed designs and data processing algorithms for the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) to fly on the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) and the Joint Polar Satellite System, JPSS (formerly NPOESS, prior to recent program restructuring), its unprecedented data quality and system characteristics have contributed to a variety of atmospheric research and measurement validation objectives. This paper will provide a program overview and update, including a summary of measurement system capabilities, select scientific results, and recent refurbishment activities.

Resolving the complexity of coastal and estuarine waters requires high spatial resolution, hyperspectral imaging spectroradiometry. Hyperspectral measurements also provide capability for measuring bathymetry and bottom types in optically shallow water and for detailed cross calibration with other instruments in polar and geosynchronous orbit. This paper reports on recent design studies for a hyperspectral Coastal Imager (CI - pronounced "sea") that measures key data products from sun synchronous orbit. These products include water-leaving radiances in the near-ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared for separation of absorbing and scattering coastal water constituents and for calculation of chlorophyll fluorescence. In addition, CI measures spectral radiances in the near-infrared and shortwave infrared for atmospheric corrections while also measuring cloud radiances without saturation to enable more accurate removal of instrument stray light effects. CI provides contiguous spectral coverage from 380 to 2500 nm at 20 m GIFOV at nadir across 5000+ km² scenes with spectral sampling, radiometric sensitivity and calibration performance needed to meet the demanding requirements of coastal imaging. This paper describes the CI design, including concepts of operation for data collection, calibration (radiometric, spectral and spatial), onboard processing and data transmission to Earth. Performance characteristics for the instrument and all major subsystems including the optics, focal plane assemblies, onboard calibration, onboard processing and thermal subsystem are presented along with performance predictions for instrument sensitivity and calibration. Initial estimates of size, mass, power and data rate are presented.

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and technology (EIAST) was founded in 2006 to inspire scientific innovation and foster technological advancement in the United Arab Emirates through its various initiatives and programs. The Space Programme is the first initiative introduced by EIAST aiming at making the UAE an internationally recognized hub for advanced space systems and supporting the creation of a knowledge-based economy by leveraging the advances in the satellite systems. EIAST leading project and starting point in the space programme is DubaiSat-1 satellite mission. The satellite was designed and developed by Satrec Initiative - a pioneer satellite manufacturing company in South Korea, with a strong participation from EIAST engineers. DubaiSat-1 is a catalyst project and part of an in-depth know how and technology transfer program to convey advanced satellites technology to the UAE. The launch of the satellite was on July 29th 2009 onboard Dnepr rocket from Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan. DubaiSat-1 observes the Earth at a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with an altitude of 680 Km and generates high resolution optical images at 2.5m panchromatic (Pan) and 5m multispectral (MS) bands at red, green, blue and Near-infrared. The images provide variety of users and decision makers in the UAE with a valuable tool for a wide range of applications including infrastructure development, urban planning as well as environment monitoring and protection.

Multispectral camera is the principal payload in China's first hazards mitigation satellite, which is designed for hazards monitoring, assessment, and management. However, the camera's dynamic range of scenery is not as wide as expected and partly influences imaging quality on-orbit. This paper analyzed the reason of this phenomenon, discussed potential solutions and proposed a strategy of on-orbit gain control. The key point of this strategy is to update the radiation property of imaging area dynamically, to effectively narrow down the flux range and sufficiently employ system capability of quantification. A case study on urban scene achieved gains for different latitudes and different seasons to generate a lookup table. And the effect of the strategy was validated by simulation and comparison between before and after use of the strategy. The result demonstrated that the strategy could effectively improve dynamic range and imaging performance. This study can provide guidance for future camera design.

In this paper we present the rationale and the preliminary results of a research project devoted to the appropriate and innovative use of remotely sensed data for water management in semi-arid regions. The study area is the district of Yatenga, northern Burkina Faso in the sub- Saharan belt of West Africa, where extreme climate conditions cause several problems: drought, floods, soil erosion. The data comes from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Cosmo-Skymed program, which provides high resolution (1 meter) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Crucial peculiarity of the project is the use of open source software for data processing and hydrological modeling. Two different hydrological models have been selected. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to be employed for the design of appropriate water management plans and soil erosion mitigation measures. The Width Function Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph (WFIUH_D) model can to employed for the prevision of flood events and therefore for the planning of risk mitigation. The paper shows the preliminary results of the project obtained by the processing of the first available high resolution SAR data. In particular, the first step is the realization of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). GIS tools have been set up for the DEMprocessing in order to derive the needed hydro-morphological basin attributes to support the geo-morphological rainfall- runoff (WFIUH_D) modeling.

The increase of flood inundation occuring in different regions all over the world have enhanced the need for effective flood risk management. As floods frequency is increasing with a steady rate due to ever increasing human activities on physical floodplains there is a respectively increasing of financial destructive impact of floods. A flood can be determined as a mass of water that produces runoff on land that is not normally covered by water. However, earth observation techniques such as satellite remote sensing can contribute toward a more efficient flood risk mapping according to EU Directives of 2007/60. This study strives to highlight the need of digital mapping of urban sprawl in a catchment area in Cyprus and the assessment of its contribution to flood risk. The Yialias river (Nicosia, Cyprus) was selected as case study where devastating flash floods events took place at 2003 and 2009. In order to search the diachronic land cover regime of the study area multi-temporal satellite imagery was processed and analyzed (e.g Landsat TMETM+, Aster). The land cover regime was examined in detail by using sophisticated post-processing classification algorithms such as Maximum Likelihood, Parallelepiped Algorithm, Minimum Distance, Spectral Angle and Isodata. Texture features were calculated using the Grey Level Co-Occurence Matrix. In addition three classification techniques were compared : multispectral classification, texture based classification and a combination of both. The classification products were compared and evaluated for their accuracy. Moreover, a knowledge-rule method is proposed based on spectral, texture and shape features in order to create efficient land use and land cover maps of the study area. Morphometric parameters such as stream frequency, drainage density and elongation ratio were calculated in order to extract the basic watershed characteristics. In terms of the impacts of land use/cover on flooding, GIS and Fragstats tool were used to detect identifying trends, both visually and statistically, resulting from land use changes in a flood prone area such as Yialias by the use of spatial metrics. The results indicated that there is a considerable increase of urban areas cover during the period of the last 30 years. All these denoted that one of the main driving force of the increasing flood risk in catchment areas in Cyprus is generally associated to human activities.