VIIRS (Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite): a next-generation polar-orbiting operational environmental sensor

The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is the next-generation imaging spectroradiometer for the U.S. future converged civilian and military operational polar-orbiting environmental satellite system. This paper provides an update to VIIRS characteristics and performance capabilities, based on results from recent characterization and acceptance testing of the first flight unit. VIIRS will replace three different currently operating sensors: the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Line-scan System (OLS), the NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS Terra and Aqua) MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), starting in 2011 with the launch of the NPOESS Preparatory Project.