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NASA NTRS2011

Status of Aqua MODIS Instrument On-Orbit Operation and Calibration

The Aqua MOderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) has successfully operated for nearly a decade, since its launch in May 2002. MODIS was developed and designed with improvements over its heritage sensors in terms of its overall spectral, spatial, and temporal characteristics, and with more stringent calibration requirements. MODIS carries a set of on-board calibrators that can be used to track and monitor its on-orbit radiometric, spectral, and spatial performance. Since launch, extensive instrument calibration and characterization activities have been scheduled and executed by the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST). These efforts are made to assure the quality of instrument calibration and L 1B data products, as well as support all science disciplines (land, ocean, and atmospheric) for continuous improvements of science data product quality. MODIS observations from both Terra and Aqua have significantly contributed to the science and user community over a wide range of research activities and applications. This paper provides an overview of Aqua MODIS on-orbit operation and calibration activities, instrument health status, and on-board calibrators (OBC) performance. On-orbit changes of key sensor parameters, such as spectral band radiometric responses, center wavelengths, and bandwidth, are illustrated and compared with those derived from its predecessor, Terra MODIS. Lessons and challenges identified from Aqua MODIS performance are also discussed in this paper. These lessons are not only critical to future improvements of Aqua MODIS on-orbit operation and calibration but also beneficial to its follow-on instrument, the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) to be launched on NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) spacecraft.

Xiong, Jack↗

NASA NTRS2014

Compositional Diversity of the Vestan Regolith Derived from Howardite Compositions and Dawn VIR Spectra

Howardite, eucrite and diogenite meteorites likely come from asteroid 4 Vesta [1]. Howardites - physical mixtures of eucrites and diogenites - are of two subtypes: regolithic howardites were gardened in the true regolith; fragmental howardites are simple polymict breccias [2]. The Dawn spacecraft imaged the howarditic surface of Vesta with the visible and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIR) resulting in qualitative maps of the distributions of distinct diogenite-rich and eucrite-rich terranes [3, 4]. We are developing a robust basis for quantitative mapping of the distribution of lithologic types using spectra acquired on splits of well-characterized howardites [5, 6]. Spectra were measured on sample powders sieved to <75 μm in the laboratories of the Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali and Brown University. Data reduction was done using the methods developed to process Dawn VIR spectra [4]. The band parameters for the ~1 and ~2 μm pyroxene absorption features (hereafter BI and BII) can be directly compared to Dawn VIR results. Regolithic howardites have shallower BI and BII absorptions compared to fragmental howardites with similar compositions. However, there are statistically significant correlations between Al or Ca contents and BI or BII center wavelengths regardless of howardite subtype. Diogenites are poor in Al and Ca while eucrites are rich in these elements. The laboratory spectra can thus be directly correlated with the percentage of eucrite material contained in the howardites. We are using these correlations to quantitatively map Al and Ca distributions, and thus the percentage of eucritic material, in the current regolith of Vesta.

Mittlefehldt, D. W.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Status of Aqua MODIS On-orbit Calibration and Characterization

The MODIS Flight Model 1 (FM1) has been in operation for more than two years since its launch onboard the NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua spacecraft on May 4, 2002. The MODIS has 36 spectral bands: 20 reflective solar bands (RSB) with center wavelengths from 0.41 to 2.2 micron and 16 thermal emissive bands (TEB) from 3.7 to 14.5 micron. It provides the science community observations (data products) of the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere for a board range of applications. Its primary on-orbit calibration and characterization activities are performed using a solar diffuser (SD) and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) system for the RSB and a blackbody for the TEB. Another on-board calibrator (OBC) known as the spectro-radiometric calibration assembly (SRCA) is used for the instrument's spatial (TEB and RSB) and spectral (RSB only) characterization. We present in this paper the status of Aqua MODIS calibration and characterization during its first two years of on-orbit operation. Discussions will be focused on the calibration activities executed on-orbit in order to maintain and enhance the instrument's performance and the quality of its Level 1B (L1B) data products. We also provide comparisons between Aqua MODIS and Terra MODIS (launched in December, 1999), including their similarity and difference in response trending and optics degradation. Existing data and results show that Aqua MODIS bands 8 (0.412 micron) and 9 (0.443 micron) have much smaller degradation than Terra MODIS bands 8 and 9. The most noticeable feature shown in the RSB trending is that the mirror side differences in Aqua MODIS are extremely small and stable (<0.1%) while the Terra MODIS RSB trending has shown significant mirror side difference and wavelength dependent degradation. The overall stability of the Aqua MODIS TEB is also better than that of the Terra MODIS during their first two years of on-orbit operation.

Aqua↗

NASA NTRS2015

Thermal Signature Identification System (TheSIS)

We characterize both nonlinear and high order linear responses of fiber-optic and optoelectronic components using spread spectrum temperature cycling methods. This Thermal Signature Identification System (TheSIS) provides much more detail than conventional narrowband or quasi-static temperature profiling methods. This detail allows us to match components more thoroughly, detect subtle reversible shifts in performance, and investigate the cause of instabilities or irreversible changes. In particular, we create parameterized models of athermal fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), delay line interferometers (DLIs), and distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, then subject the alternative models to selection via the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Detailed pairing of components, e.g. FBGs, is accomplished by means of weighted distance metrics or norms, rather than on the basis of a single parameter, such as center wavelength.

Laser↗

NASA NTRS2016

Sixteen Years of Terra MODIS On-Orbit Operation, Calibration, and Performance

Terra MODIS has successfully operated for more than 16 years since its launch in December 1999. From its observations, many science data products have been generated in support of a broad range of research activities and remote sensing applications. Terra MODIS has operated in a number of configurations and experienced a few anomalies, including spacecraft and instrument related events. MODIS collects data in 36 spectral bands that are calibrated regularly by a set of on-board calibrators for their radiometric, spectral, and spatial performance. Periodic lunar observations and long-term radiometric trending over well-characterized ground targets are also used to support sensor on-orbit calibration. Dedicated efforts made by the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) and continuing support from the MODIS Science Team have contributed to the mission success, enabling well-calibrated data products to be continuously generated and routinely delivered to users worldwide. This paper presents an overview of Terra MODIS mission operations, calibration activities, and instrument performance of the past 16 years. It illustrates and describes the results of key sensor performance parameters derived from on-orbit calibration and characterization, such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), noise equivalent temperature difference (NEdT), solar diffuser (SD) degradation, changes in sensor responses, center wavelengths, and band-to-band registration (BBR). Also discussed in this paper are the calibration approaches and strategies developed and implemented in support of MODIS Level 1B data production and re-processing, major challenging issues, and lessons learned. (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Xiong, X.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Effects of Time-Varying Relative Spectral Response on the Calibration of MODIS Reflective Solar Bands

Calibration of the on-orbit gain changes of the narrow bandwidth reflective solar bands (RSB) of Terra and Aqua MODIS is usually based on the band center wavelength. The relative spectral response (RSR) of each band is assumed to be constant on orbit and the time dependence of an overall gain factor is calculated. Any on-orbit changes to the RSR of the MODIS bands will introduce some error into the calibration and may also have an impact on the Earth scene radiance retrieval. We consider two different ways to track how the RSR of the MODIS RSB may be changing on orbit, and the effect that these changes will have on the calibration. First, we examine in-band RSR measurements from the spectro-radiometric calibration assembly (SRCA) carried on-board both MODIS instruments. Second, we study the broadband degradation of the MODIS scan mirror and how it may be changing the effective out-of-band response of the RSB. We find that RSR changes have a small effect on the radiance calibrated using the on-board solar diffuser, generally less than 0.5% in all cases at any time in the missions, with bands 1, 8, and 9 impacted the most.

Twedt, Kevin A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Phase-change Tunable Filters (PCTFs) for Hyperspectral Thermal Imaging

In this presentation, we introduce phase-change tunable filters (PCTFs), which are capable of actively tunable spectral filtering as well as continuous tuning (hyperspectral) across multiple IR wavebands (1–10 μm); several orders-of-magnitude faster switching speeds (GHz–MHz) than the state-of-the-art, and narrowband filtering (~50 nm passband). This technology subsystem is based on the unique electro-optics of non-volatile, phase-change materials (PCMs) such as GeSbTe and SbS. PCMs exhibit a large, reversible refractive index shift through applied energetic pulses. By integrating PCMs with established optical filter designs—whose optical properties are strongly dependent on the constituent materials’ refractive indices—we can rapidly and reversibly tune the PCTFs center wavelength (passband).

Tunable filter↗

NASA NTRS2020

Effects of Out-of-Band and Time-Varying Relative Spectral Response on the Calibration of MODIS Reflective Solar Bands

Calibration of the on-orbit gain changes of the narrow bandwidth reflective solar bands (RSB) of Terra and Aqua MODIS is usually based on the band center wavelength. The relative spectral response (RSR) of each band is assumed to be constant on orbit and the time dependence of an overall gain factor is calculated. Any on-orbit changes to the RSR of the MODIS bands will introduce some error into the calibration and may also have an impact on the Earth scene radiance retrieval. We consider two different ways to track how the RSR of the MODIS RSB may be changing on orbit, and the effects that these changes will have on the calibration. First, we study the broadband degradation of the MODIS scan mirror and how it may be changing the effective out-of-band response of the RSB. Second, we examine in-band RSR measurements from the spectro-radiometric calibration assembly (SRCA) carried on-board both MODIS instruments. We find that RSR changes have a relatively small effect on the radiance calibrated using the on-board solar diffuser, generally less than 0.5% for all RSB at any time in the missions, though the effect may be slightly larger for some scan angles. The impact of RSR changes on the Earth scene radiance retrieval is highly dependent on the spectral properties of the scene and could be significantly larger. The bands showing the largest impacts are Terra bands 1, 4, 8, 9, 17, and 19 and Aqua bands 8 and 9.

MODIS↗

NASA NTRS2020

Twenty Years of Terra MODIS Spectral Performance using the Spectro-Radiometric Calibration Assembly

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on-board the Terra spacecraft has provided valuable Earth data to the science community for the last 20 years. Equipped with several on-board calibrators (OBCs), MODIS has continued to operate nominally since its launch in December 1999. The Spectro-Radiometric Calibration Assembly (SRCA) is one such OBC that is able to provide on-orbit measurements of the MODIS reflective solar bands (RSBs) in radiometric, spatial and spectral modes. While the SRCA is operating in spectral mode, it is able to monitor the center wavelength (CW), bandwidth (BW) and in-band relative spectral response (RSR) of most RSBs. Prelaunch measurements of the CWs, BWs and RSRs of the RSBs were performed at the system level using the Spectral measurement Assembly (SpMA). Using both the prelaunch measurements and the measurements obtained on-orbit using the SRCA, the changes in the spectral response of the MODIS reflective bands can be monitored throughout the mission. This paper will provide a brief description of the spectral calibration approach and report on-orbit changes in these spectral performance parameters and their uncertainties over the last 20 years. It will also address changes to the SRCA operation on-orbit and their impact on measured spectral calibration results. Despite two decades in orbit, the spectral responses for most Terra MODIS reflective bands continue to remain within their design specifications.

MODIS↗

NASA NTRS2020

SNPP and N20 VIIRS Solar Vector Orientation Knowledge Error Detected by SDSM Sun Views

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a passive scanning Earth observing satellite radiometer. The VIIRS has 22 spectral bands with design center wavelengths from 0.41 to 12.01 μm, providing data to generate more than 20 Earth’s biogeophysical parameters. Fourteen of the 22 VIIRS bands are the reflective solar bands (RSBs), detecting Earth reflected sunlight. To ensure data quality, regular on-orbit radiometric calibrations of the RSBs are performed, mainly through observations of an onboard solar diffuser (SD). The spectral radiance provided by the sunlit SD depends on the SD screen transmittance which is a function of the solar vector orientation. Additionally, on orbit the SD’s bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) changes its value due to solar bombardment. The BRDF change is derived from the SD stability monitor (SDSM) measurements. The SDSM views the Sun through a screen with through holes (the SDSM screen) and the SD at almost the same time. The time series of the ratio of the signal strengths is a measure of the SD BRDF on-orbit change. Hence the measurements of the on-orbit SD BRDF change depends on the SDSM screen relative transmittance which is also solar vector orientation dependent. In this paper for both the SNPP and the NOAA-20 VIIRS instruments we examine the solar vector orientation knowledge error through matching the SDSM screen relative effective transmittances derived from the calibration data collected on the yaw maneuver and the regular orbits.

SNPP↗

NASA NTRS2020

N20 VIIRS RSB Calibration Algorithms and Results: Collection 2.0

The NOAA-20 (N20) satellite, previously the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 satellite, was launched on November 18, 2017. One of the five major scientific instruments aboard the satellite is the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). VIIRS scans the Earth’s surface in 22 spectral bands, 14 of which are the reflective solar bands (RSBs) with band center wavelengths from 0.412 to 2.25μm. VIIRS regularly performs on-orbit radiometric calibration of its RSBs, primarily through the observations of the onboard solar diffuser (SD). The on-orbit change of the SD’s bidirectional reflectance distribution function, known as the H-factor, is determined by the onboard SD stability monitor (SDSM). Since the H-factor exhibits angular dependence, obtaining the H-factor along the SD to the telescope direction is a challenge for the NOAA-20 VIIRS. Recently, Collection 2.0 of the NASA Land Science Investigator-led Processing Systems (SIPS) products were released. As a part of this reprocessing effort, we made two major improvements in the N20 VIIRS RSB radiometric calibration. One is the improved SD and SDSM attenuation screen transmittance functions, obtained by using calibration data collected during both the yaw maneuver and a small portion of regular orbits, resulting in a higher quality H-factor for the SDSM view. Another is the use of the H-factor for the telescope view, derived from the H-factor for the SDSM view, by using the results for the SNPP VIIRS. In June 2019, we delivered a set of mission-long N20 VIIRS Collection 2.0 RSB radiometric calibration look-up-tables. These tables have been employed by the NASA Land SIPS group to reprocess the entire time series of the NOAA-20 VIIRS products. In this paper, we discuss the Collection 2.0 NOAA-20 VIIRS RSB calibration algorithms and results.

N20 VIIRS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluation of Aqua MODIS and S-NPP VIIRS Thermal Emissive Bands Calibration Stability Using Dome-C

Establishing the calibration consistency between satellite measurements is an essential step in the implementation of a long-term global monitoring plan, which often leads to sensor calibration improvements. The Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a polar-orbiting Earth remote sensing instrument built with a strong Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) heritage. The center wavelengths of all VIIRS thermal emissive bands (TEBs) match well with those of MODIS with the exception of VIIRS TEB M15 (10.7μm). Previous work from the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) at the NASA/GSFC used specific Earth surface targets to track the long-term consistency,stability, and relative bias between the two MODIS instruments onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. Using similar methodologies, this paper evaluates the TEB calibration consistency between the MODIS instruments and S-NPP VIIRS over Dome Concordia (Dome-C). The Dome-C site is uniformly snow-covered and the atmospheric effects are small in the surrounding area. Near-surface air temperature measurements from an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) are used as a reference to track each sensor’s calibration stability and determine the relative bias between the MODIS and VIIRS instruments. The results of this study provide a quantitative assessment of the S-NPP VIIRS TEB mission-long performance.

MODIS↗

NASA NTRS2018

CARBO - The Carbon Observatory Instrument Suite - The Next Generation of Earth Observing Instruments for Global Monitoring of Carbon Gases

The Carbon Observatory Instrument Suite, or CARBO, consists of four carbon observing instruments sharing a common instrument bus, yet targeted for a particular wavelength band each with a unique science observation. They are: a) Instrument 1, wavelength centered at 756 nm for oxygen and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) observations, b) Instrument 2, centered at 1629 nm, for carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) observation, c) Instrument 3, centered at 2062 nm for carbon dioxide and d) Instrument 4, centered at 2328 for carbon monoxide (CO) and methane. From low-Earth orbit, these instruments have a field-of-view of 10 to 15 degrees, and a spatial resolution of 2 km square. These instruments have a spectral resolving power ranging from ten to twenty thousand, and can monitor columnaverage dry air mole fraction of carbon dioxide (XCO2) at 1.5 ppm, and methane (XCH4) at 7 ppb. These new instruments will advance the use of immersion grating technology in spectrometer instruments in order to reduce the size of the instrument, while improving performance. These compact, capable instruments are envisioned to be compatible with small satellites, yet modular to be configured to address the particular science questions at hand. Here we report on the current status of the instrument design and fabrication, focusing primarily on Instruments 1 and 2. We will describe the key science and engineering requirements and the instrument performance error budget. We will discuss the optical design with particular emphasis on the immersion grating, and the advantages this new technology affords compared to previous instruments. We will also discuss the status of the focal plane array and the detector electronics and housing. Finally, we report on a new approach – developed during this instrument design process - which enables simultaneous measurement of both orthogonal polarization states (S and P) over the field-of-view and optical bandpass. We believe this polarization sensing capability will enable science observations which were previously limited by instrumental and observational degeneracies. In particular: improved sensitivity to all species, better sensitivity to surface polarization effects, better constraints on aerosol scattering parameters, and superior discrimination of the vertical distribution of gases and aerosols.

Bernas, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2022

Infrared Spectral Responses of the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) Pre-assembly and Integration

Spectral characterizations were made of the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) short-wave infrared (SWIR) Detection Subassembly (SDS) responses (940–2260 nm) prior to their integration. Using modulated output light from a Fourier transform spectrometer, the in-band relative spectral responses of the nine different configurations of SDSs were found along with out-of-band (OOB) sensitivity. From these spectral responses, the center wavelengths (λ0), full widths at half of the maximum, full widths at 1% of the maximum, and OOB rejection ratios were determined. All spectral parameters are within requirements. There are 2–8 repeats of each configuration, and the 1 σ spread among repeats is largest for the 1250 nm and 1615 nm high-gain configurations and is greater than 1 nm. The engineering requirement is for these values to be within ±4 nm and ±10 nm, respectively, of 19 the nominal λ0. There is also a λ0 temperature dependence, which is expected. This temperature dependence is nearly a linear function of wavelength with a 9.5 × 10−3 nm K−1 relationship on average.

PACE↗

NASA NTRS2022

Infrared Spectral Responses of the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) Pre-assembly and Integration

The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) to go on the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecology (PACE) Earth-observing satellite has a Short-wave infrared (SWIR) Detection Assembly (SDA). This SDA is used to measure upwelling radiation in seven discrete bands from 940 to 2260 nm. There are redundant measurements of each band for a total of 32 physical channels, which includes optical components through to detection. The relative spectral response (RSR) is measured for each channel, which is needed when accounting for the spectral distribution of sensed radiance. From the RSR, single-value performance metrics are computed including the center wavelength, the full width at half of the maximum (FWHM), and the full width at 1% of the maximum (FW1P). Besides in-band responses, the out-of-band rejection ratio (OOBRR) is also calculated for each of the channels, which is a measure of the sensitivity outside the band of interest. We find that all 32 SDA detection channels meet the spectral response requirements at the qualification temperatures at which tests were conducted.

PACE↗

NASA NTRS2022

Spectral Responses of the PACE OCI Short-Wave Infrared Detection Assembly

PACE↗

NASA NTRS2021

Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) spectral and radiometric calibration

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) was launched as part of NASA’s Terra satellite suite of instruments. Still operational, it makes use of observations from multiple view angles to retrieve aerosol abundance and particle properties. The Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) instrument improves on this heritage by incorporating polarimetry and an expanded spectral range. Combining these data with surface measurements, the relationship between pollution and human health will be explored. MAIA has just completed camera testing, building on the experience from MISR. Spectral calibration now makes use of a double subtractive monochromator, built with the intent to allow the exit slit output to be uniform in spectral content. For radiometric testing, hardware upgrades have included adding UV lamps to the 1.65 cm (65") integrating sphere, use of a NIST-traceable sphere to establish absolute radiances, and the addition of a UV transfer spectrometer to support characterization of the sphere output from 300 to 2500 nm. During camera build, Newton’s rings were observed in the detector Quantum Efficiency (QE) measurements. This is due to etaloning within the detector itself. Etaloning was also evident in the spectral and radiometric characterizations performed on the completed camera. Spectral metrics, including center wavelength and width, are presented here using a moment’s analysis. This better represents the band properties, particularly in bands where fringing is observed, as compared to a full-width at half-maximum determination. It is believed that the MAIA camera has been carefully characterized, and meet its spectral and radiometric requirements.

Harten, Gerard Van↗

NASA NTRS2003

Whispering-Gallery Mode-Locked Lasers

Mode-locked lasers of a proposed type would incorporate features of the design and operation of previously demonstrated miniature electro-optical modulators and erbium-doped glass lasers that contain whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators. That is to say, WGM lasers and WGM electro-optical modulators would be integrated into monolithic units that, when suitably excited with pump light and microwaves, would function as mode-locked lasers. The proposed devices are intended to satisfy an anticipated demand for compact, low-power devices that could operate in the optical-communication wavelength band centered at a wavelength of 1.55 m and could generate pulses as short as picoseconds at repetition rates of multiple gigahertz.

Matsko, Andrey↗