JPSS-1 VIIRS Pre-Launch Testing and Performance Assessment

The Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key instrument for the S-NPP launched in October 2011 and the future JPSS satellites. It is a cross-track scanning radiometer using a rotating telescope and makes observations with spatial resolutions of 375 and 750 m at nadir for its imaging and moderate bands, respectively. VIIRS has 22 spectral bands covering wavelengths from 0.412 to 12.01 µm, including 14 reflective solar bands (RSB), 7 thermal emissive bands (TEB), and 1 day-night band (DNB). It was built with strong MODIS heritage, including its pre-launch testing activities and on-board calibration capability. The VIIRS observations are used to produce the sensor data records (SDRs), which include the calibrated radiances and brightness temperatures. The VIIRS SDRs are the key input for the generation of its 22 environmental data records (EDRs) that enable and support a wide range of applications. This paper describes the JPSS-1 (J1) VIIRS pre-launch testing program, sensor characterization strategies, and its preliminary performance. It discusses the effort made by the joint government team to produce sensor at-launch baseline performance parameters needed to populate the Look-Up-Tables (LUTs) for the sensor SDR production. Key radiometric performance parameters to be examined in this paper include sensor signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), dynamic range, spectral characteristics, response versus scan-angle (RVS), and polarization sensitivity. Also discussed in this paper are the lessons learned for future VIIRS testing and characterization.