Rapid Design, Build and Characterization Cycle of the GHGSat Constellation
Abstract
We report on the rapid design, build and characterization cycle of the forthcoming GHGSat greenhouse gas remote sensing satellite constellation. The evolving GHGSat fleet builds on the results of the GHGSat-D demonstration satellite which has been making measurements since June 2016. The GHGSat-C1 and C2 satellites, due to be launched in Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 respectively, leverage the lessons learned from preceding measurement and characterization campaigns to make informed design modifications on a timescale of months. This compares favourably to the years-long design cycles of agency-based missions.
We present details of the GHGSat-C1 characterization campaign and, launch date depending, initial results from the commissioning phase. We discuss improvements made to the GHGSat-C1 spectrometer design and retrievals algorithm that followed analysis of GHGSat-D measurements. Furthermore, we present the significant design modifications implemented on GHGSat-C2 that were the direct result of lessons learned during the recent GHGSat-C1 characterization campaign. Finally, we incorporate characterization data into observation system simulation experiments to project the methane retrieval performance of GHGSat-C1 and C2.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.A41S2642J
- Keywords:
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- 0315 Biosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 3360 Remote sensing;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 0414 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 0428 Carbon cycling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES