OMPS - The Next Generation Sensor Suite for Global Ozone Monitoring

The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) will collect total column and vertical profile ozone data and continue the daily global data produced by the current operational satellite monitoring systems, the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet radiometer (SBUV/2) and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), but with higher fidelity. The collection of this data will contribute to fulfilling US treaty obligations to monitor ozone depletion for the Montreal Protocol. OMPS has been selected to fly on the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Satellite System (NPOESS) spacecraft – the next generation of polar orbiting environmental satellites. The OMPS is comprised of two sensors – a nadir viewing mapper and a limb viewing profiler. Measurements from the nadir sensor are used to generate total column ozone Environmental Data Records (EDRs) with better than 50 X 50 km resolution at nadir. The limb sensor generates ozone profile EDRs by measuring the along-track limb scattered solar radiance with 1 km vertical sampling. Both sensors will maintain long term data product stability through periodic solar irradiance measurements. The OMPS program will create five ozone data products: high performance Total Column environmental data records (EDRs), heritage TOMS V7 total column data records, high performance ozone profile EDRs, heritage SBUV/2 Nadir Profiler data records, and IR total column data records from NPOESS CrIS sounder radiances. The first launch of the NPOESS 13:30 afternoon spacecraft, planned to carry an OMPS sensor suite, is expected after 2008.