ESA SMOS: Spain almost free of radio interference

 

SMOS Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis (MIRAS) consists of a central structure and three arms that carry 69 antenna receivers. The instrument employs a new measuring technique in space by operating at frequencies around 1.4 GHz (L-band) to capture images of microwave radiation emitted from Earth.

From an altitude of 758 km and data obtained from a swath width of about 1000 km, SMOS achieves global coverage every three days.

Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab

Following cooperation between ESA and the National Spectrum Authority, SMOS data over Spain, shown in this image from July 2010, are now far less contaminated by radio-frequency interference.

As shown in this image from March 2010, data from SMOS over Spain were being badly contaminated before unwanted transmissions from various radio systems were shut down. Credits: ESA

ESA: SMOS satellite instrument comes alive

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The MIRAS instrument on ESA's SMOS satellite, launched earlier this month, has been switched on and is operating normally. MIRAS will map soil moisture and ocean salinity to improve our understanding of the role these two key variables play in regulating Earth’s water cycle.

"Following the switch-on, MIRAS is working beautifully well with all key subsystems, including all of the receivers, the optical fibres and the correlator unit, in perfect functioning condition," said ESA’s Manuel Martin-Neira, SMOS Instrument Principal Engineer. "We have been able to produce reasonable test data even without in-orbit calibration."

MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis) is an L-band radiometer with 69 receivers mounted on three deployed arms to measure the radiation coming from Earth.
In order to measure accurately, the receivers must be within a +/-3°C temperature range of each other, with the optimal operating temperature at 22°C. Heaters are installed on the satellite to achieve the temperature needed.

First MIRAS signal received
Switching on the instrument begins with activating the central payload computer, which controls many of the instrument’s subsystems and gives instructions to the distributed command and monitoring modes on each arm.

To assess the electrical performance of the instrument after switch-on while limiting the consumption of heater power, the physical temperature for start up was set to 10°C.

"The active thermal control is now in operation and is keeping the instrument well within the expected temperature range," Mr Martin-Neira said. "Tomorrow we expect to assess the payload at the final 22°C temperature."

The central payload computer also controls the 'mass memory', which collects all the science data from the receivers and sends them to receiving stations on the ground. The high-speed downlink, which transmits the data to the ground station, was switched on, and data have been transmitted to ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), in Villafranca, Spain. The data acquisition and processing systems located at ESAC are also working well, and the first test of the product generation system has been successful.

"With the critical launch and early orbit phase completed, the engineers can now evaluate the quality of the downlinks and concentrate on the calibration of the instrument," SMOS Project Manager Achim Hahne said.