NPOESS
National Polar‐orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
SDL has been part of the government team for the National Polar‐orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) since 1995.
SDL’s roles include:
- Overseeing the development and testing of the Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the data product algorithm validation for CrIS.
- Overseeing the development and testing of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS)
- Performing pre‐ and post‐launch calibration and validation for CrIS and ATMS.
CrIS and ATMS are part of the NPOESS sensor suites that will monitor global environmental conditions and collect and disseminate data related to weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near‐space environment. SDL’s support for NPOESS continues to focus on performing studies to reduce risk and on providing engineering and science expertise to ensure that the CrIS and ATMS data products will meet the needs of the of the global weather community.
Specifically, SDL is currently working with the government and contractor NPOESS team members to ensure that sensor noise, non‐linearity, stability, and other factors are performing within specification, and that ground‐based operational data analysis and dissemination systems have been validated and are ready before the upcoming NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) pathfinder mission launch. NPP will provide risk reduction by exercising the expected long‐term overarching NPOESS operational mission components.
