A Compact Adaptable Microwave Limb Sounder for Atmospheric Composition (CAMLS)

Develop the engineering model of a compact, light-weight, low-power CAMLS instrument at 340 GHz for observations of composition, humidity, temperature and clouds in Earth's upper troposphere and stratosphere. CAMLS core system will: • consist of only 6 subsystems, as compared to 46 for Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Aura satellite • be approximately 10 kg, 70 W, and 0.01 m3, as compared to ~270kg, 370W, ~1m3 for Aura MLS • Demonstrate CAMLS functions and performance in airborne test flights.

The technology developed under this project will enable a low cost mission of small satellite instruments that can provide measurements of water vapor (and other species) in Earth's atmosphere with an unprecedented combination of vertical and horizontal resolution. Such measurements will bring new insights and needed quantification of key small-scale processes potentially affecting the stratosphere and its role in the Earth system.

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