Performance and Calibration of the Nadir Suomi-NPP Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite From Early-Orbit Images

Abstract

The Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) was launched aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership spacecraft on October 28, 2011. A successful thorough Early Orbit Checkout (EOC) enabled the current Intensive Calibration and Validation stage. We present our analyses and results of OMPS Nadir early-orbit sensor performance and calibration. We collected and analyzed data from both nominal and diagnostic activities via orbital measurements of detector dark current, sensor linearity, and solar irradiance. Our results demonstrate that the OMPS Nadir sensors smoothly transitioned from ground to orbit by meeting or exceeding sensor level requirements. The orbital measurements agree with the predicted values determined during the prelaunch calibration and characterization of OMPS. Our results also suggest that the effects of charge coupled device (CCD) lattice damage due to energetic particle hits onto the CCD must be accounted for in the dark current calibration.