The MIRAS demonstrator pilot project

Author

Borges, A. ; Solana, A. ; Plaza, M.A. ; Sanz, J.A. ; Garcia, Q.

Author_Institution

CASA Space Div., Madrid, Spain

Volume

7

fYear

2000

fDate

2000

Firstpage

2972

Abstract

MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis) is a microwave radiometer to measure Ocean Salinity and Soil Moisture (SMOS). Both parameters have a strong scientific interest in understanding the water cycle behaviour. MIRAS measurements are based on the microwave sensitivity changes in the dielectric constant due to humidity and salinity content. Aperture synthesis allows one to obtain good spatial resolution and radiometric sensitivity with a thinned antenna. SMOS mission (MIRAS) has been selected within the Earth Observation programme of ESA for a launch in mid 2005. CASA Space Division is leading a pre-phase A technology demonstrator of MIRAS by building one L-band segment to consolidate the technology and to limit risk and mission cost. CASA will lead the phase A technology programme whose kick-off will be before summer 2000

Keywords

hydrological techniques; moisture measurement; oceanographic techniques; radiometry; remote sensing; soil; terrain mapping; CASA; L-band; MIRAS; Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis; SMOS; demonstrator pilot project; hydrology; measurement technique; microwave radiometer; microwave radiometry; ocean; remote sensing; salinity; sea surface; soil moisture; terrain mapping; thinned antenna;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2000. Proceedings. IGARSS 2000. IEEE 2000 International

Conference_Location

Honolulu, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-6359-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IGARSS.2000.860306

Filename

860306