ATMS

Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder

Satellites

NPP, NPOESS 1/3 and possibly 2/4

Status

Being developed – To be utilised in the period 2010 to ~ 2027 (2029 if also on NPOESS 2/4)

Mission

Temperature and humidity sounding in nearly-all-weather conditions. Also precipitation

Instrument type

22-channel MW radiometer

Scanning technique

Cross-track: 96 steps of 16 km s.s.p., swath 2200 km - Along-track: one 16-km line every 8/3 s

Coverage/cycle

Near-global coverage twice/day

Resolution (s.s.p.)

16 km for channels 165-183 GHz, 32 km for channels 50-90 GHz, 75 km for channels 23-32 GHz

Resources

Mass: 75.4 kg - Power: 93 W - Data rate: 20 kbps

Central frequency (GHz)

Bandwidth (MHz)

Quasi-polarisation

Radiometric accuracy (NEΔT)

23.800

270

QV

0.90 K

31.400

180

QV

0.90 K

50.300

180

QH

1.20 K

51.760

400

QH

0.75 K

52.800

400

QH

0.75 K

53.596 ± 0.115

170

QH

0.75 K

54.400

400

QH

0.75 K

54.940

400

QH

0.75 K

55.500

330

QH

0.75 K

f0 = 57.290344

330

QH

0.75 K

f0 ± 0.217

78

QH

1.20 K

f0 ± 0.3222 ± 0.048

36

QH

1.20 K

f0 ± 0.3222 ± 0.022

16

QH

1.50 K

f0 ± 0.3222 ± 0.010

8

QH

2.40 K

f0 ± 0.3222 ± 0.0045

3

QH

3.60 K

89.5

5000

QV

0.50 K

165.5

3000

QH

0.60 K

183.31 ± 7.0

2000

QH

0.80 K

183.31 ± 4.5

2000

QH

0.80 K

183.31 ± 3.0

1000

QH

0.80 K

183.31 ± 1.8

1000

QH

0.80 K

183.31 ± 1.0

500

QH

0.90 K