Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer is an Earth-observing instrument flown on Terra (satellite), built and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and operated by NASA, designed to measure angular, spectral, and spatial characteristics of reflected solar radiation over the globe; it supports studies relevant to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Geological Survey, European Space Agency, and international research programs. MISR provides calibrated, multi-angle imagery used by investigators associated with institutions such as California Institute of Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and NOAA for analyses tied to the Climate Science Special Report, Global Change Research Act, and regional assessments.

Overview

MISR is a pushbroom imaging radiometer carried by Terra (satellite) as part of the Earth Observing System mission, delivering multi-angle, multi-spectral observations from the Low Earth Orbit platform, enabling retrievals of aerosol optical depth, cloud height, and surface reflectance that feed into models used by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Meteorological Organization, and the Group on Earth Observations. The project involved collaborative teams from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, NASA Ames Research Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and international partners including Indian Space Research Organisation and Canadian Space Agency. Data from MISR have been integrated into operational streams at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and research initiatives at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and Purdue University.

Instrument Design and Specifications

The instrument employs nine cameras fixed at viewing angles spanning forward and aft directions relative to the Terra (satellite) flight track, each camera equipped with four spectral bands approximating blue, green, red, and near-infrared wavelengths, following optical engineering concepts used in instruments at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Boeing, and university testbeds. MISR’s detectors, focal plane assemblies, and calibration chains reflect development practices associated with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech Optical Observatories, and electronics heritage from projects at Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman; the instrument mass, power budget, and thermal control were constrained by Terra (satellite) mission requirements and standards from NASA Headquarters and the Office of Management and Budget. Spatial resolution at nadir is approximately 275 m with swath coverage enabling global sampling patterns used in global mapping efforts by United States Geological Survey, European Commission, and United Nations Environment Programme.

Data Products and Processing

MISR generates level 1 radiance imagery, level 2 aerosol and cloud retrievals, and level 3 gridded geophysical products that have been used in assimilation systems at European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Processing chains developed at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and operationalized with contributions from Information Sciences Institute and academic partners include geometric rectification, radiometric calibration traceable to standards used at National Institute of Standards and Technology, and algorithm suites that deploy inversion techniques akin to those in work at California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived MISR products are distributed through NASA Earthdata, integrated into portals run by USGS Earth Explorer, and referenced in synthesis datasets used by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Copernicus Programme, and climate model intercomparison projects.

Scientific Applications and Findings

MISR observations have advanced understanding of aerosol radiative forcing, cloud microphysics, and land-surface albedo, informing assessments by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, regional studies by World Health Organization, and air-quality analyses employed by Environmental Protection Agency. Results have been published in venues associated with American Geophysical Union, Nature (journal), Science (journal), Geophysical Research Letters, and supported research at institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Maryland, and Columbia University. Findings include global aerosol climatology, plume transport characterization relevant to events like the 1997 Southeast Asian haze and volcanic eruptions such as Mount Pinatubo, improved cloud-top height retrievals compared with lidar measurements from CALIPSO, and surface BRDF analyses complementary to instruments on MODIS and missions by European Space Agency.

Mission History and Operations

MISR was launched aboard Terra (satellite) on 18 December 1999 as part of NASA’s Earth Observing System and has been operated by teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and collaborating centers including NASA Langley Research Center and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center through routine mission planning, instrument calibration, and science-team activities; the mission lifecycle has interacted with policy frameworks like the National Research Council decadal surveys and cooperative initiatives involving NOAA and international agencies. Over its operational history MISR data have been used in response to events monitored by United Nations Environment Programme, World Meteorological Organization, and national disaster agencies during wildfires, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions, and continue to support long-term climate records used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and research consortia at universities and national laboratories.

Category:Earth observation satellites