ECOSTRESS, A NASA Earth-Ventures Instrument for studying links between the water cycle and plant health over the diurnal cycle

Abstract

The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) mission was selected as a NASA Earth-Ventures Instrument (EV-I) Class-D mission on the International Space Station (ISS) to be launched in April 2018. ECOSTRESS will answer science questions related to water use and availability in several key biomes of the terrestrial biosphere using surface temperature information measured from the thermal infrared (TIR) measurement. The instrument includes a TIR multispectral scanner with five spectral bands in the TIR between 8 and 12.5 μm and a spatial resolution of 60m. Model-derived evapotranspiration information derived from ECOSTRESS will help reveal how ecosystems change with climate and provide a critical link between the water cycle and plant health, both natural and agricultural. The inclined, precessing ISS orbit will also enable ECOSTRESS to sample the diurnal cycle in critical regions across the globe at spatiotemporal scales unexploited by current instruments in Sun-synchronous polar and high-altitude geostationary orbits. In this paper we will discuss the primary science objectives of ECOSTRESS, details of the Level 2, 3, and 4 science products and their derivation, validation strategies, and community outreach efforts.