BackForwardInstrument:  VIRS 

Instrument details
Acronym VIRS
Full name Visible and Infra Red Scanner
Purpose Multipurpose VIS/IR imagery
Short description 5 VIS/IR channels [see detailed characteristics below]
Background Adapted from AVHRR/3 (NIR channel missing)
Scanning Technique Cross-track: 256 pixel of 1.6 km s.s.p., swath 720 km - Along-track: 240 lines/min, 1.7 km/scan
Resolution 2.0 km at s.s.p.
Coverage / Cycle Intertropical coverage: several sequences of passes at ~ 100-min intervals with longer gaps once or twice per day. More regular coverage at 15°N and 15°S)
Mass 34.5 kg Power 40 W Data Rate 50 kbps

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 1998 to 2015
Last update: 2022-08-08
Detailed characteristics
Central wavelength Spectral interval SNR or NEΔT @ specified input
0.630 µm 0.58 - 0.68 µm 9 @ 0.5 % albedo
1.61 µm 1.58 - 1.64 µm 20 @ 0.5 % albedo
3.74 µm 3.55 - 3.93 µm 0.12 K @ 300 K
10.80 µm 10.3 - 11.3 µm 0.12 K @ 300 K
12.00 µm 11.5 - 12.5 µm 0.12 K @ 300 K
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Earth observation instrument
  • Passive optical radiometer or spectrometer
  • Moderate resolution optical imager
WIGOS Subcomponents No WIGOS subcomponents have been defined.
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Cloud cover
  • Cloud top height
  • Cloud top temperature
  • Cloud type
  • Sea surface temperature
Evaluation of Measurements