Passive microwave sensors provide critical observations for initialization and validation of regional and global weather forecasting models. Although much progress has been made in global climate modeling, extreme weather events are still misrepresented in parameterizations, largely due to a lack of sufficient observations. At the same time, passive microwave sensors perform Earth observation exclusively from low Earth orbit (LEO), so their limited number leads to substantial temporal sampling gaps from the tropics and sub-tropics to the mid-latitudes, where cyclones and other precipitating storms cause the greatest damage to life and property. The accuracy, precision, and long-term stability of TEMPEST-D microwave radiometer operation on a 6U CubeSat throughout the three-year mission demonstrated the potential for substantial enhancement of temporal observations from the tropics to the mid-latitudes. Future constellations of passive microwave sensors on small satellites in LEO are expected to provide greatly enhanced temporal observations for atmospheric sounding and remote sensing of clouds and precipitation.

The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) measures the emissivity and land surface temperature (LST) of plants from the space station. This information is used to generate products such as evapotranspiration (ET) over an effective diurnal cycle to better understand how much water plants need and how they respond to stresses (i.e. lack of water, sun, nutrients). The imaging radiometer on board the ECOSTRESS payload provides five thermal infrared (TIR) spectral bands with approximately 70m pixels and a nearly 400km swath. It incorporates many new technologies such as a high-speed Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) focal plane array (FPA), black silicon calibration targets, and a thermal suppression filter allowing shortwave infrared (SWIR) bandpass. This radiometer has two on-board blackbodies to maintain calibration every sweep of the scan mirror (1.29s). A series of calibration targets (Lake Tahoe and the Salton Sea) have been utilized to verify the top of atmosphere radiometric integrity of the science data.

Observing the Earth from space has changed the way we see our World – emerging hyperspectral imaging technology gives us a more complete picture. From space, we can monitor global changes on the Earth and use that information to forecast and assess impact of future changes. Emerging hyperspectral ocean color and coastal water imagers will revolutionize our ability to understand coastal water ecosystems by going far beyond existing multispectral systems by offering high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution simultaneously. This presentation reviews space-based ocean color and coastal water imaging beginning with the multispectral Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) launched in 1978 through SeaWiFS launched in 1997 into the latest developments with hyperspectral NASA PACE OCI in sun synchronous orbit and GLIMR (Geostationary Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer) for NASA Earth Venture Instrument-5 (EVI-5).

SMOS and SMAP radiometers have demonstrated the ability to monitor soil moisture and sea surface salinity and continue to provide high quality radiometric measurements to this day in extended mission operations. Unfortunately, the SMAP quad-polarization radar failed soon after launch. However, the SMAP polarimetric radiometer continues to provide high quality polarimetric radiometer measurements to the present. After 9 years of operation SMAP is now well beyond its design life. It is important to maintain data continuity for these science measurements. The proposed GLOWS instrument concept will enable low-cost L-band data continuity (that includes both L-band radar and radiometer measurements). The objective of this project is to develop key instrument technology to enable L-band observations using an Earth Venture class satellite. Specifically, a new deployable reflectarray lens antenna is being developed that will enable a smaller EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) Grande-class satellite mission to continue the L-band observations at SMAP and SMOS resolution and accuracy at substantially lower cost, size, and weight.

We explore a constellation composed of hyperspectral small satellites deployed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO, 500 - 700 km), which sends early warnings to a second set of satellites operating in VLEO (100 to 300 km) to perform follow up observations. Once the warning and its respective location is received by the VLEO constellation, the closest VLEO satellite is tasked to image at higher spatial resolution the envisaged anomaly or target to be further characterized. The capabilities of this constellation will be explored in this talk. The overall constellation performance will be discussed along with the expected benefit of a "slow-down" system where objects are tracked via a maneuverable focal plane array to increase exposure times while compensating for platform instabilities. A large focus of the presentation will be on the applications that are enabled by a such as constellation system.

In this presentation, I’ll discuss the infusion of high operating temperature mid-wave and long-wave BIRD technology in to a myriad Earth and space science applications such as Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI), HyTI-2, Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES), compact – Fire Irradiance Spectral Tracker (c-FIRST), Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI), and non-saturating, simultaneous multiband, infrared imager for Io and Venus applications.

There is an established need for low-noise, fast frame rate, high-resolution sensors for New Space earth-observing missions. However, there is a dearth of space-qualified, commercially available sensors. Until recently, high-performance sensors have been restricted to large satellites. These sensor systems have been physically large and heavy with high power consumption requirements. Furthermore, the large satellite programs are costly and have long, multi-year development schedules. The novel sensor strategy presented meets the needs of a wide range of small satellite requirements that require low SWaP-C, and with availability within months rather than years. These sensors are flexible enough to address a variety of push broom time delay integration (TDI) scanner formats used in earth observing payloads and are available for panchromatic and multispectral applications. Formats up to 32K pixel swath can be fabricated with this technology.

The Carruthers Observatory Student Solar Monitor (COSSMo), is a low weight, size, and power instrument on the Carruthers Geocoronal Observatory that measures solar irradiance variability in the Lyman-alpha (122nm) and soft x-ray (0.1-7nm) wavelengths. The presentation will describe the ground-calibration and performance of the instrument. The data will support the Carruthers Geocoronal Observatory, which aims to image and observe the Earth’s exosphere in full; observing how incoming solar irradiance impacts and affects the exosphere allows for a better understanding of its dynamics. NASA’s Carruthers Geocoronal Observatory is scheduled to launch in 2025 and operate from L1.