Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer
NASA · Public domain · source
Name	Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer
Mission	Earth observation
Operator	NASA / Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Launch	1999
Platform	Terra (EOS AM-1)
Status	operational (as of launch period)
Wavelength	Visible, Near-Infrared, Shortwave-Infrared, Thermal-Infrared
Spatial resolution	15 m (visible), 30 m (SWIR), 90 m (TIR)

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer is a multispectral imaging instrument that flew aboard the Terra satellite, designed to acquire high-resolution reflectance and thermal emission data for Earth science. It supported global mapping initiatives and partnerships between NASA and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, contributing to studies by agencies and institutions across remote sensing, geology, hydrology, and climate research.

Overview

The instrument was developed through collaboration among NASA, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Japan), and contractors that included organizations linked to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Earth Observing System, and industrial partners. It formed part of the payload on the Terra satellite alongside sensors such as MODIS, CERES, and MISR, operating from a sun-synchronous orbit to provide systematic coverage used by researchers at institutions like USGS, NOAA, and international observatories. Its objectives included surface reflectance mapping, thermal diagnostics supporting studies by University of Arizona, California Institute of Technology, and other academic centers, and serving applied programs for agencies such as EPA and national mapping agencies.

Instrumentation and Design

The sensor assembly combined VNIR, SWIR, and TIR subsystems engineered by teams with heritage from projects at Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and partners affiliated with Ames Research Center and Goddard Space Flight Center. Optical design emphasized pushbroom imaging with detectors manufactured by suppliers tied to RCA, Hewlett-Packard Laboratory research, and component testing performed in facilities like Marshall Space Flight Center. The instrument featured a multispectral telescope, focal plane arrays for visible and shortwave bands, and cooled thermal detectors for mid- and long-wave infrared channels, with on-board electronics and calibration units developed alongside contractors connected to Boeing and national metrology institutes.

Data Products and Processing

Data products adhered to distribution and processing chains used by archives at LP DAAC, Earthdata, and national centers such as USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. Level 0 through Level 3 products included radiance, reflectance, surface temperature, and georeferenced mosaics compatible with standards from organizations like ISO, OGC, and scientific programs at NASA Goddard. Processing workflows incorporated atmospheric correction algorithms referenced in studies by researchers at Caltech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Oxford, and used software tools developed in collaboration with institutions such as Jet Propulsion Laboratory and community platforms maintained by European Space Agency partners.

Calibration and Validation

Radiometric and geometric calibration efforts were coordinated with facilities and campaigns involving sites studied by teams from USGS, NOAA, and academic partners at University of Colorado Boulder and Stanford University. Vicarious calibration and in situ validation used fiducial sites including deserts and test ranges familiar to groups from NASA Langley Research Center and international observatories, while cross-calibration engaged contemporaneous missions like Landsat 7, Sentinel-2, and MODIS instruments. Calibration traceability referenced standards administered by national laboratories and collaborations with metrology entities tied to NIST and foreign counterparts.

Applications and Scientific Contributions

The instrument supported geomorphology and geology studies cited by researchers at Smithsonian Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and university geology departments, enabling mineral mapping, volcanic monitoring relevant to research on Mount St. Helens and Mount Etna, and cryosphere investigations connected to studies of Greenland and Antarctica. Hydrology and land-cover applications were adopted by programs at USDA, World Bank projects, and conservation organizations including IUCN, informing assessments of deforestation in regions managed by agencies like Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources and researchers studying the Amazon Rainforest. Urban studies and disaster response integrated ASTER products into workflows used by FEMA, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and humanitarian mapping initiatives. Scientific outcomes were published by investigators affiliated with Nature (journal), Science (journal), and domain journals with contributions from collaborative teams spanning international universities and research institutes.

Mission History and Operations

Launched on the Terra spacecraft as part of the Earth Observing System, operations were managed through mission control centers associated with NASA Ames Research Center and coordination with Japanese partners at JAXA-related facilities. Routine operations, anomaly response, and mission planning involved participation from entities including Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ball Aerospace, and international data users across agencies such as NOAA and research centers at University of Tokyo. Over its operational lifetime the instrument experienced periods of degraded channels and managed data continuity through cross-mission strategies leveraging Landsat and Sentinel programs, while legacy datasets continue to support long-term climate and Earth system science archived by global data centers and accessed by researchers at worldwide institutions.

Category:Earth observation instruments