A scatterometer for XOVWM, the Extended Ocean Vector Winds Mission

This paper presents a designs for a scatterometer satisfying the performance requirements set by the National Research Council Decadal Review in its description of the Extended Ocean Vector Winds Mission (XOVWM). Our design consists of a Ku and C-band pencil-beam scatterometer system coupled with an X-band polarimetric radiometer. Multiple frequencies allow us to achieve all winds and all-weather capabilities, and we achieve high spatial resolution thanks to an onboard SAR processor. We present examples of significant improvements in performance that can be achieved by this next-generation system compared with current ocean vector winds instruments.