The Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis (MIRAS) [1] is the single payload of the SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission of the European Space Agency (ESA), to be launched on spring 2009 [2]. MIRAS performance was successfully tested during spring 2007 by the prime contractor, EADS-CASA Espacio Spain, at ESA premises in ESTEC and after payload integration with the Proteus platform at Thales Alenia Space in Cannes, France. This work presents the results of specific tests designed to assess the impact of a number of possible operating conditions and/or perturbations on MIRAS system performance. The major challenge to easily assess the impact of any perturbation comes from the large number of measurements that have to be dealed with.

Date Published: 9 October 2008
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 7106, Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites XII, 71061V (9 October 2008); doi: 10.1117/12.800374

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7106:
Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites XII
Roland Meynart; Steven P. Neeck; Haruhisa Shimoda; Shahid Habib, Editor(s)