Aircraft measurements for calibration of an orbiting spacecraft sensor

Abstract

The best method of establishing a calibration for a satellite sensor is to make simultaneous measurements along the satellite view vector from a calibrated instrument on board a high-altitude aircraft. The satellite sensor prelaunch radiance calibration can then be compared to the in-orbit radiance values produced by comparison with the simultaneous aircraft data. Aircraft measurements were made over the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States, and comparison of the prelaunch and in-orbit data indicated a 25% degradation in channel 1 of the Nimbus 7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner.