ACE-FTS instrument: after one year on-orbit

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) is the mission on-board the Canadian Space Agency´s SciSat-1 science satellite. ACE consists of a suite of instruments in which the primary element is an infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) coupled with an auxiliary 2-channel visible and near infrared imager. A secondary instrument, MAESTRO, provides spectrographic data from the near ultra-violet to the near infrared, including the visible spectral range. In combination, the two instruments cover the spectral range from 0.25 to 13.3 microns. A comprehensive set of simultaneous measurements of trace gases, thin clouds, aerosols, and temperature are made by solar occultation. A high inclination (74deg), low Earth orbit (650 km) allows coverage of tropical, midlatitude and the polar regions. The ACE mission is intended to measure and analyze the chemical and dynamical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. This paper presents the status of the ACE-FTS instrument after one year of on-orbit operations. The results of the commissioning phase and early science operations phase are presented