AIRS, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, is the primary Aqua sensor for measuring the earth’s water cycle. BAE Systems developed AIRS for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA’s Aqua spacecraft is collecting data on earth systems and weather features in a scope and detail not seen before. Aqua, launched on May 4, 2002, as part of the Earth Observing System, collects data related to global water cycles with the goal of improving weather prediction and scientists’ understanding of climate change.
Hyperspectral sensing from space is a technique that delivers weather-balloon-quality measurements on a global scale. Using infrared hyperspectral sensing, AIRS passively measures temperature and humidity.
The infrared region consists of a rainbow of colors that correlate with altitude. Measuring the brightness of infrared colors that correspond to temperature, AIRS creates full and accurate mapping of temperature from the surface to more than 20 miles in altitude. Humidity profiles are measured in a similar fashion.
Other AIRS features include twelve individually optimized arrays, each consisting of 4,500 detectors, which provide the system’s high wavelength selectivity and initial signal processing. For high sensitivity operation, the detectors are cooled to 58 Kelvin by a first-of-its-kind, space-qualified Stirling pulse tube cryocooler.
