Airborne validation experiments for spaceborne microwave scatterometers

This paper elaborates a series of validation methods of the airborne microwave scatterometer, and its technical performance standards. Results of the aviate experiment in the South China Sea of airborne microwave scatterometer are also presented. The test indicates that it is feasible to employ the scheme of flight around the point for testing an airborne microwave scatterometer. The wind speed vector error between the scatterometer measurements and the satellite data is less than 0.5 m/s and the wind direction error is less than 10 degree.