AMSR-E and its follow-on, AMSR2

The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) was built in Japan, and it has been flying on the Aqua satellite since May 2002. Aqua has completed its prime mission in September 2008. The observations from AMSR-E are being used by scientists all over the world in conjunction with other ATrain satellite instruments to monitor and understand hydrological processes over land, ocean, and in the cryosphere. The status of AMSR-E will be presented. Images of AMSR-E products will be shown, as well as a summary of the ongoing research with these data. AMSR-E´s follow-on instrument, AMSR2, will be launched on JAXA´s GCOM-W1 satellite in Japanese fiscal year 2011. The AMSR2 instrument will be similar to AMSR-E with some important enhancements, and will provide a critical bridge of climate observations until the first Microwave Imager Sounder (MIS) flies on the second NPOESS satellite in 2016 or any other radiometer planned, and yet unknown to the international research community. JAXA and NASA are discussing whether to place GCOM-W1 in the same orbit as Aqua, as part of the Atrain constellation. The benefits of the collocation of the two AMSRs will be discussed and examples given of the research possibilities.