Nist role in radiometric calibrations for remote sensing programs at NASA, NOAA, DOE and DOD

Abstract

Abstract The Optical Technology Division (OTD) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been actively involved in providing calibration support to establish SI traceable measurement support for the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observing System (EOS) radiometric sensors. Specialized transfer standard radiometers traceable to the NIST spectroradiometric scales were built; they cover the visible and infrared spectral range up to 10 μm. An example of this effort has been the calibration support provided for the NASA's SeaWiFS program. The OTD has also developed the Thermal Infrared Transfer Radiometer (TXR) for NASA's EOS program, and measurements are planned at the calibration facilities for the High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) and the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) that will fly on the Aura spacecraft. The TXR was used for the end-to-end radiometric calibration of a chamber at Los Alamos in support of DOE remote sensing programs. Plans also call for the TXR to be used in a feasibility test of calibration support for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program. The need to calibrate the performance of sensors for missile defense prompted the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) of the Department of Defense (DOD) to sponsor the development of the Low Background Infrared Calibration Facility (LBIR) at NIST. The LBIR facility has been providing calibration of blackbodies and detectors to BMDO/DOD missile test facilities for over ten years. Internationally, OTD has been actively participating in the intercomparisons with other national standard laboratories in the measurement of SI traceable radiometric quantities. The requirements for global warming and climate change studies show the need for high accuracy data from remote sensing platforms. This translates into the need for long term radiometric calibration support for space-based sensors during the course of the mission. As a possibility to provide real time radiometric calibration support for a variety of missions, we will explore the future prospects of deploying SI traceable transfer standard radiometers on the International Space Station or other such platforms. Such a program would allow for recoverable instruments that could be periodically intercompared with the absolute radiometric standards in the laboratory and thereby provide long term measurement assurance for space based radiometry.