A summary of the performance and long-term stability of the pre-launch Radiometric Calibration Facility for the Clouds and the Earth´S Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments

The Radiometric Calibration Facility (RCF) at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems was used between 1995 and 2008 to establish the pre-launch calibration of the first six Clouds and the Earth´s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments, with the seventh CERES instrument scheduled to be tested in the RCF in 2012. This paper summarizes the performance of the RCF radiometric standards NFBB (Narrow-field Black-body) and SWRS (Short-wave Refer ence Source), as well as the RCF TACR (Transfer Active Cavity Radiometer), in the context of the CERES pre launch calibration process. A detailed investigation of the long-term stability of these standards using 1999-2008 CERES FM5 testing is summarized, showing the RCF sources in the long-wave and short-wave have remained stable relative to the NFBB absolute reference at levels of 0.06% and 0.5%, respectively, over the 8-year span.