BackForwardInstrument:  MethaneSAT Spectrometer-2 

Instrument details
Acronym MethaneSAT Spectrometer-2
Full name MethaneSAT Spectrometer 2
Purpose To measure methane sources and also carbon dioxide
Short description

A littrow infrared spectrometer operating in 1598-1683 nm band with resolution of 0.25 nm and sampling 0.08 nm. HgCdTe detectors. Signal to noise ration 190. Aim is to detect excess emissions of >3 ppb.
Background

New development.
Scanning Technique

Nadir viewing 200 km swath.
Resolution 100 m across track, 400 m along track.
Coverage / Cycle
Mass 183 kg Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NZSA
Instrument Maturity Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period: 2024 to 2028
Last update: 2024-03-18
Detailed characteristics
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
  • Cross-nadir infrared sounder, possibly including VIS channels
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • UV/VIS/NIR sounders, nadir and limb
  • UV/VIS/NIR nadir sounder
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • CH4 Tropospheric column
  • CH4 column average dry air mixing ratio
  • CH4 mole fraction
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
CH4 mole fraction*1 - primaryCloud sensitive.SWIR and MWIR very-high-resolution spectrometry. CH4 lines around 1.6, 2.3, 3.4 and 4.3 micrometers