Calibration of the solar reflective channels in an integrated operational weather satellite system in the era of NPOESS and GOES-R

Abstract

The Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) will be the operational imaging instrument on three NPOESS satellites, in Sun-synchronous orbits at altitudes of 833 km. The VIIRS is presently planned to have a total of 14 solar reflective spectral bands, with central wavelengths ranging from 412nm to 2250nm. The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) will be the operational imaging instrument on two GOES-R satellites in geostationary orbits. The ABI is presently planned to have a total of 6 solar reflective spectral bands, with central wavelengths ranging from 470nm to 2260nm. Some of the ABI’s spectral bands are similar, but not identical to, those of the VIIRS. Each VIIRS instrument and each ABI instrument will be equipped with a solar diffuser for on-board, end-to-end calibration of its reflective channels. Due to the high scan rates of both instruments and the flexible scheduling of the ABI, there will be several opportunities each day for the two instruments to simultaneously view the same area on Earth's surface along nearly identical lines of sight. It should be possible to cross-calibrate the ABI and the VIIRS instruments to far greater precision than has been achieved before, and to merge data from multiple platforms into fused data products. The utility of the combined VIIRS/ABI weather imagery can be improved still more if the ABI's reflective spectral bands are changed to match corresponding bands of the VIIRS.