HIRDLS

High-Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder

Satellite

EOS-Aura

Status

Operational – Utilised in the period 2004 to ~ 2009

Mission

Chemistry of the high atmosphere.  Tracked species: CFC-11, CFC-12, CH4, ClONO2, H2O, HNO3, N2O, N2O5, NO2, O3, temperature and aerosol

Instrument type

21-channel filter radiometer; range 6.12-17.76 µm

Scanning technique

Limb scanning, 6 azimuth angles, swath 2000-3000 km

Coverage/cycle

Global coverage each 12 hours for cells of 500 km side

Resolution

Vertical: 1 km, in the altitude range 10-100 km.  Horizontal effective resolution: ~ 300 km (limb geometry)

Resources

Mass: 220 kg  -  Power: 220 W  -  Data rate: 65 kbps