Calibration support for NPP VIIRS SDR assessment

Abstract

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is one of the instruments included in the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP), which is a joint mission between NASA and the NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO). The NPP provides a bridge between the current Earth Observing System (EOS) and future NPOESS missions by testing the pre-operational on-orbit system and providing risk reduction for key NPOESS instruments. The VIIRS exploits design concepts of advanced sensors, such as the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and development of data products on the NASA EOS. It is designed to provide continuity of global observations of land, ocean, cloud, and atmospheric parameters, called Environmental Data Records (EDRs), for real-time meteorological operations and long-term climate change research. This paper provides a brief overview of the VIIRS instrument on-orbit radiometric calibration and characterization activities supported by the NASA NPP Instrument Calibration and Support Element (NICSE). The NICSE is part of the Science Data Segment (SDS) within the NASA NPP program. This paper focuses on the capability and responsibility of NICSE, the tool development for post-launch calibration, and activities to assess sensor performance through the use of its On-board Calibrators (OBCs), as well as to independently verify the quality of VIIRS Sensor Data Records (SDRs).