The NPOESS VIIRS Sensor as the Follow-On to the EOS MODIS Sensor

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) is serving the operations and research community as the bridge mission between the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) and the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). The key sensor on the first EOS flight is the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the companion key sensor on the NPP mission is the Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). MODIS on the EOS Terra mission now is more than a decade old. This presentation will review the VIIRS capabilities in the context of continuity with MODIS. The VIIRS sensor has recently completed its calibration and characterization test program and final test results are emerging from it. The comparison between VIIRS and MODIS will include spectral, spatial, radiometric and polarization performance comparisons. New capabilities on VIIRS that are not part of the MODIS sensor also will be highlighted.