Antenna error budget in the MIRAS-SMOS instrument

The microwave imaging radiometer using aperture synthesis (MIRAS) (M. Martin-Neira et al., November 1997) is the single payload of the SMOS (soil moisture and ocean salinity) mission by the European Space Agency (ESA). MIRAS performance was successfully tested during spring 2007 by the prime contractor, EADS-CASA Espacio Spain, at ESA premises in ESTEC, The Netherlands. The payload is currently in Thales, Alenia Space, in Cannes (France), for integration with the satellite platform: http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPsmos.html. MIRAS-SMOS launching is currently scheduled by the end of 2008.