We invite you to participate in the 19th Annual CALCON Technical Conference by submitting an abstract for an oral or poster presentation. CALCON promotes the interchange of technical data and lessons learned from programs within the remote sensing community, with emphasis toward calibration.

Technical sessions will be organized to cover a wide range of topics that address interests of the larger sensor calibration community, dependent on the number and quality of submissions received. Each session will focus on a broad theme represented in a selected group of submitted abstracts. The topics listed below are grouped to illustrate several possible themes for potential technical sessions. However, we welcome abstracts on any topic relating to radiometric sensor calibration.

Pre-launch Testing and Post-launch Performance
Assessment of pre- and post-launch calibration and performance characterization for operational remote sensing systems.

Pre-launch and on-orbit measurement techniques
Instrument transition from the laboratory to space environments
Application of ground calibration results to on-orbit measurements
Operational sensor calibration lessons learned

Inter-calibration and Validation of Operational Sensors
Performance comparison between sensors of differing scientific objectives, capabilities, and mission parameters to assess measurement bias and uncertainty.

Post-launch calibration using onboard and/or vicarious techniques
Retrievals through data assimilation, with various data used for validation
Results of particular approaches, validation campaigns and experiments
Techniques, platforms, and instruments for validation
Application of calibration results to scientific measurements
Requirements and potential approaches for the calibration of global satellite observing sensors

Radiometric Sensor Calibration Uncertainty and Error Analysis
Sensor calibration and characterization relies on models, measurements, and analysis to provide the needed data to derive results. Coupled with the models, measurements and analysis are estimates of errors and uncertainties that show how well the results are understood.

Modeled vs. measured results
Uncertainty and error assessment techniques
Measurement equipment characterization methods; both development and operational equipment
End to end system level uncertainty assessment

Calibration Methods using Celestial Objects
Presentation of radiometric measurements and calibration methods using the Sun, Moon, stars, and other celestial objects in the ultra-violet, visible, and infrared wavelengths.

Characterization and calibration of celestial sources for on-orbit sensor calibration
Post-launch calibration and long-term trending using celestial observations
Calibration accuracy using celestial objects
Real-life experience and lessons learned using celestial objects for radiometric sensor calibration

Equipment, Capabilities, and Facilities for Radiometric Calibration
Hardware and resources to support national and international requirements for radiometric calibration of remote sensing instruments, including long-term trending and performance enhancements of existing facilities.

Design, characterization and validation of test and calibration equipment, facilities, test chambers, and scene simulators (Earth, solar and other objects)
Hardware-in-the-loop test equipment
Specialized measurement equipment (spectral, polarization, and other)
Long- and short-term accuracy and precision of data sources used for validation, including models

National Standards Technology Advancement
Opportunities for communication and collaboration between national standards laboratories and the calibration community to improve calibration technologies and methodologies.

Calibration traceability to standards—NIST and international
Relationship between primary, secondary, and transfer standards and applications to remote sensing
Maintenance of a valid calibration throughout instrument life
Activities within the community aimed at increasing the quality of our satellite based measurements

System-level Program Requirements and Calibration Planning
The relationship between system performance specifications and calibration test requirements.

Calibration transfer chains developed for remote sensing instruments and their relationship to uncertainty in on-orbit measurements
Performance modeling versus measured response
Translation of user requirements to sensor performance specifications
Designing measurements to verify system requirements
Existing, planned, and/or proposed calibration/validation approaches
Risk reduction studies for future sensors

Calibration of Microwave Radiometers and other Microwave Instruments
Calibration and characterization issues associated with making radiometric measurements within the microwave band, including the comparison or fusion of microwave data with data obtained within the optical bands.

Antenna emission and warm load gradients due to solar intrusions
Inter-sensor comparisons
Traceability of microwave calibration to a NIST standard at the sensor data level
Long-term stability characteristics

Calibration Data Analysis Methods and Software
Techniques, logistics, and algorithms required to reduce calibration data and derive calibration parameters.

Propagation of calibration uncertainties in product generation
Error analysis for comparison of data retrievals
Techniques for the characterization and calibration of radiometric imagers
Real time calibration and performance assessment
Methods and techniques of handling and exploiting large sets of remote sensing data
Remote source identification, discrimination, and tracking methods and algorithms

Calibration methods for Climate Change Measurement and Modeling
Methods and techniques that are capable of meeting the very stringent calibration precision and accuracy requirements of climate change measurement and modeling programs, and calibration results for sensors designed to achieve climate-quality measurement results.

Inter-calibration of past and present operational sensor datasets
Plans to achieve climate-quality calibration for present and future operational sensors
Uncertainty budgeting for climate-quality calibration of environmental remote sensors
Environmental remote sensing techniques for climate change measurement and modeling

Sensor Calibration for Ground-Based and Airborne Radiometric Measurements

Rocket and jet engine plume signature measurements
Calibration methods for atmospheric contaminant monitoring and characterization
Active and passive sensing of atmospheric constituents
Calibration requirements for ground-based and airborne radiometric measurements
Real-world measurement results and calibration lessons learned