The NPOESS Aircraft Sounder Testbed - Microwave (NAST-M) is an airborne microwave radiometer operated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It measures brightness temperature, which can be used to retrieve atmospheric water vapor profiles. It consists of two radiometers: one operating across eight channels between 50 and 57 GHz and the other across nine at 118 GHz. In 2003, NAST-M was upgraded with two additional radiometers at 183 and 425 GHz to enhance water vapor retrievals and detect small hydrometeors. NAST-M has a spatial resolution of 2.6 km and a cross-track swath width of 100 km at a flight altitude of 20 km. Its typical integration time is 100 ms.
Instrument Details
- Spectrometer/Radiometer
- Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water VaporEarth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor ProfilesEarth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness TemperatureEarth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water VaporEarth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
- Lower Stratosphere
- 100 ms
- 2.6 km
- 50-57 GHz, 118 GHz, 183 GHz, 425 GHz
- https://doi.org/10.1109/36.964981
R. Vincent Leslie
R. Vincent Leslie
MIT
NASA
Unpublished
Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.