AMSU-A
The Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A), a 15-channel microwave sounder designed primarily to obtain temperature profiles in the upper atmosphere (especially the stratosphere) and to provide a cloud-filtering capability for tropospheric temperature observations. The first AMSU was launched in May 1998 on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) NOAA 15 satellite. The EOS AMSU-A is part of a closely coupled triplet of instruments that include the AIRS and HSB.
Instrument characteristics
- Passive multi-channel microwave radiometer measuring atmospheric temperature.
- 15 channel microwave sounder with a frequency range of 15-90 GHz.
- Provides atmospheric temperature measurements from the surface up to 40 km.
- On board NOAA K/L/M as well as Aqua.
| Instrument Facts | |
| Responsible Center: | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Heritage: | Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) |
| Swath: | 1650 km |
| Spatial Resolution: | 40 km horizontal at nadir |
| Mass: | 100 kg |
| Duty Cycle: | 100% |
| Data Rate: | 3.2 kbps |
| Thermal Control By: | Heater, central thermal bus, radiator |
| Thermal Operating Range: | 0 to 20° |
| Field of View (FOV): | ±49.5° |
| Instrument Instantaneous FOV: | 3.3° |
| Pointing Requirements (platform+instrument, 3σ) | |
| Control: | 720 arcsec |
| Knowledge: | 360 arcsec |
| Stability: | 360 arcsec/sec |
| Jitter: | 360 arcsec/sec |
| Physical Size: | 65.5 x 29.9 x 59.2 cm (A1) 54.6 x 64.9 x 69.7 cm (A2) |
