Envisat's instruments
Instrument | Main purpose |
Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) | To observe the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. |
Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography (SCIAMACHY) | To measure trace gases and aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere. |
Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) | To collect information about chemical and physical processes in the stratosphere, such as those that will affect ozone concentration in future. |
Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) | Measures radiation in 15 frequency bands that give information about ocean biology, marine water quality, vegetation on land, cloud and water vapour. |
Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) | All weather, day or night radar imaging. |
Advanced along track scanning radiometer (AATSR) | To measure sea-surface temperature, a key parameter in determining the existence and/or extent of global warming. |
Radar Altimeter (RA-2) | Measures distance from satellite to Earth. So can measure sea-surface height, an important measurement for monitoring El Nino, for example. |
Microwave Radiometer (MWR) | Allows corrections to be made to radar altimeter data. |
Doppler Orbitography and Radio positioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) | Gives the position of Envisat in its orbit to within a few centimetres. This is crucial to understanding the measurements all the instruments make. |
Laser Retro-Reflector (LRR) | Reflects pulsed laser to ground stations to help determine the satellite’s exact position in its orbit. |
Last update: 23 September 2004
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