BackForwardInstrument:  MM Radiometer 

Instrument details
Acronym MM Radiometer
Full name Millimetre-wave Radiometer
Purpose Microwave sounder to measure the environment around tropical storms.
Short description

Microwave radiometer with channels at five frequencies, 89, 165, 176, 180 and 182 GHz. (ISS)

Microwave radiometer with channels at five frequencies, 87, 165, 174, 178, 181 ± 0.5 GHz. (INCUS)
Background

New technology to allow radiometer to be fitted in a cubesat.
Scanning Technique

Cross-track scanning with a +/- 45 deg nadir view giving a 825 km wide swath at 400 km altitude orbit for ISS and 1000 km swath for INCUS. 
Resolution 16km
Coverage / Cycle Each 2 days, limited to about 60°S to 60°N depending on orbit inclination.
Mass 3.8 kg Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Demonstration pending
Utilization Period: 2018 to 2025
Last update: 2024-02-19
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 microwave radiometer
  • Cross-track, special or non-scanning microwave radiometer
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • MW sounder and imagery in inclined orbits
  • MW sounder and imager in inclined orbits
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Cloud liquid water (CLW)
  • Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
  • Specific humidity
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
Cloud drop effective radius5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud ice3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud ice Total Column3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud ice effective radius3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud liquid water (CLW)*3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column*3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Downward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels in 183 GHz band to account for downward cloud radiation
Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)5 - marginalNo specific limitation.MW channels in the 183 GHz band. Suitable for solid precipitation over sea and land, Insensitive to surface emissivity
Specific humidity*3 - highCoarse vertical resolution.MW channels in the 183 GHz band
Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)*2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels in the water vapour band around 183 GHz
Upward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels is the 183 GHz band to infer the impact of clouds on the upward LW radiation