NSSDCA ID: 1984-123A-02
Mission Name: NOAA 9The TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) on NOAA 9 consisted of three instruments: the high-resolution infrared radiation sounder modification 2 (HIRS/2), the stratospheric sounding unit (SSU), and the microwave sounding unit (MSU). All three instruments were designed to determine radiances needed to calculate temperature and humidity profiles of the atmosphere from the surface to the stratosphere (approximately 1 mb). The HIRS/2 instrument had 20 channels in the following spectral intervals: channels 1 through 5, the 15-micrometer CO2 bands (15.0, 14.7, 14.5, 14.2, and 14.0 micrometers); channels 6 and 7, the 13.7- and 13.4-micrometer CO2/H2O bands; channel 8, the 11.1-micrometer window region; channel 9, the 9.7-micrometer ozone band; channels 10 through 12, the 6-micrometer water vapor bands (12.55, 7.3, and 6.7 micrometers); channels 13 and 14, the 4.57- and 4.52-micrometer N2O bands; channels 15 and 16, the 4.46- and 4.40-micrometer CO2/N2O bands; channels 17, 18 and 19, the 4.25-, 4.0- and 3.7-micrometer window bands; and channel 20, the 0.7-micrometer visible region. Resolution for all channels was 17.4 km at nadir. The HIRS/2 instrument provided data for calculations of temperature profiles from the surface to 10 mb, water vapor content at three levels of the atmosphere, and total ozone content. The second instrument, the SSU, was provided by the United Kingdom. It had three channels that operated at 15.0 micrometers with three pressure-modulated cells containing CO2 to accomplish selective bandpass filtration of the sampled radiance. The third instrument, the MSU, had four channels operating in the 50- to 60-GHz oxygen band (50.31, 53.73, 54.96 and 57.95 GHz) to obtain temperature profiles which were free of cloud interference.
Mass: 63.4 kg
Power (avg): 75 W
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Principal Investigator | NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service |