Abstract
For the past three decades, the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) and Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments have established a long-term data record for the total radiance being emitted and reflected from the Earth. This data record is critical to understanding the Earth’s radiation balance, which in turn is a key driver of seasonal weather and long-term climate measurements. The Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) will continue the ERBE/CERES data records into the future.
RBI measures upwelling Earth radiance over an extremely broad spectral range, from the ultraviolet (0.3 microns) to the far-infrared (100 microns), separated into three spectral bands. RBI includes advanced onboard calibration subsystems which provide the exceptionally precise radiometric uncertainty (with requirements of approximately 0.5%-1.0%) and repeatability (with requirements less than 0.25%) needed to fulfill the radiation balance mission.
RBI’s first flight will be on the JPSS-2 satellite, which is planned for launch in 2021. RBI has recently completed its Critical Design Review (CDR), and testing of an Engineering Development Unit (EDU) is underway. This paper will describe final design of the RBI flight instrument and provide the latest projections for the radiometric and spectral performance of the instrument. In addition, test results from the EDU prototype will be discussed in detail.
Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI): Final Design and Initial EDU Test Results
For the past three decades, the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) and Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments have established a long-term data record for the total radiance being emitted and reflected from the Earth. This data record is critical to understanding the Earth’s radiation balance, which in turn is a key driver of seasonal weather and long-term climate measurements. The Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) will continue the ERBE/CERES data records into the future.
RBI measures upwelling Earth radiance over an extremely broad spectral range, from the ultraviolet (0.3 microns) to the far-infrared (100 microns), separated into three spectral bands. RBI includes advanced onboard calibration subsystems which provide the exceptionally precise radiometric uncertainty (with requirements of approximately 0.5%-1.0%) and repeatability (with requirements less than 0.25%) needed to fulfill the radiation balance mission.
RBI’s first flight will be on the JPSS-2 satellite, which is planned for launch in 2021. RBI has recently completed its Critical Design Review (CDR), and testing of an Engineering Development Unit (EDU) is underway. This paper will describe final design of the RBI flight instrument and provide the latest projections for the radiometric and spectral performance of the instrument. In addition, test results from the EDU prototype will be discussed in detail.