EOS Calibration Program

An instrument calibration plan describes the technical approaches that the instrument investigation team will use to produce calibrated, geolocated level 1B data radiance or reflectance data. These approaches include descriptions of the test programs used to calibrate and characterize the instrument before launch and to monitor the calibration and characterization of the instrument after launch. The instrument calibration plan provides an error budget reflecting how the required calibration accuracy and precision specifications are met. The calibration plan describes how calibration traceability in System Internationale (SI) units is established and maintained against primary calibration scales maintained by national standards laboratories. In addition, the instrument calibration plan includes a description of the algorithms which are used to produce the level 1B data. The plan includes a description of the techniques which will be used to include ancillary data such as ground truth and vicarious measurements. The plan outlines the strategy for making comparisons with data sets obtained from other space-based instruments.

Calibration plans are required from the EOS Instrument Investigation Teams and it is the responsibility of the instrument team leader and the instrument calibration representative to deliver the plan to the EOS Calibration Scientist. Instrument calibration plans are periodically updated by the EOS Instrument Investigation Teams to incorporate new calibration information. The content of the instrument calibration plans is the subject of the instrument calibration reviews.