AMIRAS—An Airborne MIRAS Demonstrator

Author

Martín-Neira, Manuel ; Cabeza, Isabel ; Pérez, César ; Palacios, Miguel Angel ; Guijarro, Miguel Angel ; Ribó, Serni ; Corbella, Ignasi ; Blanch, Sebastián ; Torres, Francesc ; Duffo, Nuria ; González, Verónica ; Beraza, S. ; Camps, Adriano ; Vall-llosser

Author_Institution

Eur. Space Agency, Noordwijk

Volume

46

Issue

3

fYear

2008

fDate

3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

705

Lastpage

716

Abstract

This paper describes AMIRAS, an airborne demonstrator of the Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis, which is the instrument onboard ESA´s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. The main electrical, mechanical, thermal, and control elements of the demonstrator are shown, together with its capabilities and performances as demonstrator of the spaceborne instrument. AMIRAS main tests inside an anechoic chamber, field ground experiments, and its first two maiden flights are reported, and some results of these tests are highlighted. AMIRAS will further be used in some calibration and validation campaigns of the SMOS mission.

Keywords

hydrological techniques; microwave imaging; microwave measurement; oceanographic techniques; radiometry; remote sensing; seawater; soil; ESA instrument; MIRAS; Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis; Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission; anechoic chamber; field ground experiment; spaceborne instrument; Aperture synthesis; Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS); microwave imaging radiometer with aperture synthesis (MIRAS); microwave radiometry;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0196-2892

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TGRS.2008.916266

Filename

4447240