Calibration of radiometers for remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere from space

ISSN： 0026-1394

Source： Metrologia, Vol.32, Iss.6, 1995-12, pp. : 671-674

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Abstract

Two models of spaceborne radiometers for measuring atmospheric radiation at the Earth's limb radiance profiles have been designed in Estonia and used aboard several Russian orbital stations from 1971 to 1993. Calibration was carried out with a Teflon flat-plate diffuser and a DXW lamp traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and an integrating sphere with a 1,2 m diameter and an 0,4 m aperture. The absolute spectral radiance of the aperture was determined by comparison with a tungsten ribbon standard lamp, calibrated at the All-Russian Research Institute for Optophysical Measurements (VNIIOFI), Moscow. The field-of-view responsivity was investigated by using a special collimator facility. The following characteristics of the spaceborne radiometers were determined: absolute responsivity constant, spectral characteristics, field-ofview responsivity and off-axis rejection, amplitude transfer function (nonlinearity) and temperature dependence of responsivity. The in-flight checking of long-term responsivity changes was carried out by using internal reference lamps and radiation from the Moon and the Sun.