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Completed TRL 4 (started at 1, targeting 4)
We aim to explore ways to improve the current and planned constellation of PMW satellites with a targeted instrument pair within the budget of an EV-mission. The objective is to identify a space mission that would allow us to provide a reliable stream of all-weather diurnal land surface temperature (DTC) information to the Earth system modeling and forecasting community. Engineering analysis will focus on the MMIC that allows high resolution microwave imaging capabilities.
Knowledge of ET at global scales is a critical component of global water balance studies. The need for global observations of ET with a high spatial and temporal resolution to address important questions related to water availability, crop productivity and their vulnerability to climate change was identified by the 2017 Decadal Survey for Earth science and applications from space (ESAS, 2017). This IRAD will specifically address questions related to the optimal orbit for a targeted microwave instrument to compliment a constellation of PMW satellites.
The proposed technological and scientific analysis will allow us to hone in on low-cost mission solutions with an impact on evaporation retrieval from space.
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