Table 11.2
Select historical, present and future (a) polar-orbiting and other low-altitude satellite series, and (b) geostationary satellite series with
instruments for temperature monitoring
Satellite series
Date range
Milestone satellites
Thermal
Spatial
instrument/s
resolution
Administering
(planned)
organization/s
(a) Polar-orbiting and other low-altitude satellites
NOAA Polar
1960–present
NOAA-2
SR and VHRR (1972)
*4.4
km global area coverage
(TIROS, ESSA)
TIROS-N
AVHRR (1978)
*1.1
km local area coverage
NOAA
(U.S.)
NOAA-7
AVHRR/2 (1981)
NOAA-15
AVHRR/3 (1998)
NOAA-19 (latest)
DMSP
1987–present
F17 (latest)
SMMR (1987)
*25
km
DoD/NOAA
(U.S.)
SSM/I (1987)
ADEOS
1996–1997
ADEOS (1996)
AVNIR (ADEOS)
8–16 m
JAXA
(Japan)
2002–2003
ADEOS-II (2002)
AMSR (ADEOS-II)
5–50 km (channel specific)
NASA
(U.S.)
CNES
(France)
TRMM
a
1997–present
TRMM
TMI
*25
km
JAXA
VIRS
*12.5
km (binned from 2 km)
NASA
EOS
2000–present
Terra (2000)
MODIS
0.25–1.1 km (channel specific)
NASA
Aqua (2002)
AMSR-E (Aqua)
5.4–56 km (channel specific)
MetOp
2006–present
MetOp-A (2006)
AVHRR/3
*4.4
km global area coverage
*1.1
km local area coverage
ESA
(Europe)
( MetOp-B, mid
2012)
EUMETSAT (Europe)
(MetOp-C, 2016/17)
(continued)
11 Thermal and Radar Overview
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