LIS

Lightning Imaging Sensor

Satellite

TRMM, GPM “Brazil” of the GPM constellation

Status

Operational – Utilised in the period 1997 to ~ 2009 on TRMM.  Also, planned on GPM Br (low inclination orbit) for 2014-2018

Mission

Proxy for convective precipitation, proxy for NOx generation, study of Earth electric field

Instrument type

CCD camera operating at 777.4 nm (O2) to count flashes and measure their intensity

Scanning technique

Pushbroom, matrix array of 128 x 128 detectors, swath 600 km; each earth location observed continuously (every 2 ms) for about 90 s

Coverage/cycle

Intertropical coverage 1 to 2 times/day depending on latitude (best coverage at 15°N and 15°S)

Resolution (s.s.p.)

4 km

Resources

Mass: 21 kg - Power: 33 W - Data rate: 6 kbps