BackForwardInstrument:  ISR 

Instrument details
Acronym ISR
Full name Imaging SpectroRadiometer
Purpose Multi-purpose imagery and wind derivation by tracking clouds and water vapour features
Short description 21 channels [see detailed characteristics below]
Background New development
Scanning Technique Mechanical, 3-axis stabilised satellite, right-left continuous, top-bottom stepping
Resolution Changing with channel and satellite position in the orbit (see table)
Coverage / Cycle Field-of-view from the HEO orbit every 15-30 min.
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency CSA
Instrument Maturity Backed by strong heritage
Utilization Period: TBD
Last update: 2017-03-27
Detailed characteristics
Central wavelength Bandwidth SNR or NEΔT @ specified input Resolution (s.s.p. at apogee)

470 nm

40 nm

300 @ 552 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

0.5-1.5 km

640 nm

100 nm

300 @ 449 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

0.5-1.5 km

709 nm

10 nm

300 @ 381 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

0.5-1.5 km

870 nm

40 nm

300 @ 266 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

0.5-1.5 km

1050 nm

20 nm

300 @ 184 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

1.0-3.0 km

1380 nm

20 nm

300 @ 10.0 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

1.0-3.0 km

1610 nm

60 nm

300 @ 67.5 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

0.5-1.5 km

2250 nm

60 nm

300 @ 19.9 W·m-2·sr-1·μm-1

1.0-3.0 km

3.90 μm

0.20 μm

0.12 K @ 300 K

1.5-3.0 km

6.18 μm

0.83 μm

0.35 K @ 240 K

1.5-3.0 km

6.95 μm

0.40 μm

0.35 K @ 240 K

1.5-3.0 km

7.34 μm

0.20 μm

0.35 K @ 240 K

1.5-3.0 km

8.50 μm

0.40 μm

0.15 K @ 300 K

1.5-3.0 km

9.61 μm

0.38 μm

0.35 K @ 240 K

1.5-3.0 km

10.35 μm

0.50 μm

0.15 K @ 300 K

1.5-3.0 km

11.20 μm

0.80 μm

0.15 K @ 300 K

1.5-3.0 km

12.30 μm

1.00 μm

0.15 K @ 300 K

1.5-3.0 km

13.30 μm

0.40 μm

0.50 K @ 240 K

1.5-3.0 km

13.65 μm

0.30 μm

0.50 K @ 240 K

1.5-6.0 km

13.95 μm

0.30 μm

0.50 K @ 240 K

1.5-6.0 km

14.25 μm

0.30 μm

0.50 K @ 240 K

1.5-6.0 km

Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Earth observation instrument
  • Passive optical radiometer or spectrometer
  • Moderate resolution optical imager
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 2
  • VIS/NIR/SWIR/IR mission for continuous polar coverage (Arctic and Antarctica)
  • VIS/NIR/SWIR/IR imager for continuous polar coverage (Arctic and Antarctica)
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Cloud cover
  • Cloud optical depth
  • Cloud top height
  • Cloud top temperature
  • Cloud type
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
  • Wind (horizontal)
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Aerosol column burden4 - fairLimited coverage (only above 40° North). Cloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels with changing solar incidence angles as daylight progressesIS, NIR and SWIR channels with changing solar incidence angles as daylight progresses
Aerosol Optical Depth4 - fairLimited coverage (only above 40° North). Cloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels with changing solar incidence angles as daylight progresses
Biomass4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Index only.. Daylight only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR and SWIR channels. Biomass inferred from NDVI and LAI
Cloud cover*1 - primaryLimited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR, SWIR, MWIR and TIR channels
Cloud drop effective radius3 - highAt cloud top.. Daylight only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR, SWIR and MWIR channels (for differentiation)
Cloud ice effective radius3 - highAt cloud top.. Daylight only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR, SWIR and MWIR channels (for differentiation)
Cloud optical depth*3 - highLow-density cloud only.. Daylight only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Cloud top height*2 - very highLimited coverage (only above 40° North)TIR channels in window and water vapour band (for emissivity) for temperature; and in CO2 band for atmospheric column above cloud top
Cloud top temperature*2 - very highLimited coverage (only above 40° North)TIR channels in window and water vapour band (for emissivity)
Cloud type*1 - primaryLimited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR, SWIR, MWIR and TIR channels
Downward short-wave irradiance at Earth surface3 - highCloud sensitive.. Highly indirect.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Downward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Highly indirect.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)MWIR and TIR channels including water vapour and CO2 bands
Earth surface albedo3 - highCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS channel with changing solar incidence angles as daylight progresses
Earth surface short-wave bidirectional reflectance4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS and NIR channels with changing solar incidence angles as daylight progresses
Fire fractional cover4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Coarse spatial resolution.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, MWIR and TIR channels. Frequent sampling (From Molniya orbit) enables early detection
Fire radiative power2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Coarse spatial resolution.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)MWIR and TIR channels. Frequent sampling enables early detection
Fire temperature2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Coarse spatial resolution.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)MWIR and TIR channels. Frequent sampling enables early detection
Land surface temperature3 - highCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)MWIR and TIR window channels (high sensitivity to high temperature, cloud impact reduction, water vapour correction)
Leaf Area Index (LAI)2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)3 - highCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS and NIR channels
O3 Total Column5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)TIR channel(s). Ozone lines in band around 9.7 micrometers. Frequent sampling enables monitoring diurnal variations
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS channels, range undersampled
Sea surface temperature2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)MWIR and TIR window channels around 3.7 and 11 micrometers (cloud impact reduction, water vapour correction)
Short-wave cloud reflectance4 - fairLimited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Snow cover2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR and SWIR channels enabling screening snow from clouds. Frequent sampling improves probability of cloud-free views
Soil moisture at surface4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North). Index only.VIS, NIR, SWIR, MWIR and TIR channels. Soil moisture inferred from differential brightness and thermal inertia, that are accurately measured by frequent sampling
Specific humidity3 - highCloud sensitive.. Coarse vertical resolution.. Middle troposphere only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)TIR channels in the water vapour band around 6.3 micrometers
Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)*2 - very highCloud sensitive.TIR channels around 6.3 micrometers and in the 11 micrometers split window
Upward short-wave irradiance at TOA5 - marginalSpectral interpolation needed.. Information on BRDF needed.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Upward long-wave irradiance at TOA4 - fairSpectral interpolation needed.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)MWIR and TIR channels in windows around 3.7 and 11 micrometers, and in water vapour and CO2 bands around 6.3 and 15 micrometers
Upward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Highly indirect.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)MWIR and TIR channels in windows around 3.7 and 11 micrometers, and in water vapour and CO2 bands around 6.3 and 15 micrometers
Aerosol volcanic ash4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Aerosol volcanic ash Total Column1 - primaryCloud sensitive.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)TIR channel(s). Frequent sampling enables early detection of ash plumes
Wind (horizontal)*2 - very highCloud or water vapour tracers needed.. Limited coverage (only above 40° North)VIS channel(s) and TIR channels around 6.3 and 11 micrometers, and 13.3 micrometers for more accurate height assignment. Frequent sampling enables inference from cloud or water vapour pathces motion
Sea-ice cover1 - primaryCloud sensitive.VIS, NIR (for contour enhancement), SWIR (for discrimination from clouds), MWIR and TIR channels