In-Flight Preliminary Performance of GF-5B/Absorbing Aerosol Sensor

Abstract

The Absorbing Aerosol Sensor (AAS) is carried on the Gao-Fen 5B (GF-5B) satellite, and it allows for the measurement of solar backscatter radiation by the atmosphere in the UV–Vis bands. The AAS is an imaging spectrometer that employs CCD for capturing both a continuous spectrum and the cross-track orientation with a 114° wide swath. The broad field of view provides daily global envelopment with a 4 km spatial resolution at the nadir. This paper mainly analyzes the initial working status of the instrument in orbit, including wavelength calibration, radiometric calibration, detector performance, and product availability. Preliminary observations indicate the ability of the AAS to monitor absorbing aerosols like dust, biomass burning, volcano ash, and some pollution aerosols and to identify the aerosol events in China and other regions with high spatial resolution.