The joint AMSR Science Team had a meeting on November 12, 1998 at the Earth Observation Research Center (EORC), in Tokyo, Japan. This meeting followed the third ADEOS-II AMSR Workshop. The discussion topics were the AMSR Science Data Validation plan, the feasibility of the PM-1 spacecraft maneuver (requested by CERES and MODIS), AMSR-E data flow, early post-launch activities, and the reprocessing of data with the definitive navigation data. The two teams agreed to collaborate in public outreach activities regarding AMSR products.

Paul Hwang (EOS PM Project Office) gave the status of the project, including the status of the PM-1 Spacecraft and its instrument package. The integration and test of the instruments on the platform is scheduled to start June '99. All instruments are on schedule for delivery to TRW, the spacecraft contractor. The AMSR-E Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is in negotiation and is expected to be ready for signature in January-February of 1999.

Some surprising results were found in the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) data when the TRMM spacecraft did a deep-space viewing maneuver: the temperature of deep space seen through the main reflector is higher than the temperature seen with the cold sky calibration target. The CERES and MODIS instruments requested that this maneuver be done with the PM-1 spacecraft. AMSR-E is interested in the maneuver, to see if the TRMM results will be reproduced, and ultimately help with the calibration of the instrument. Mitsubishi Electronics Company (MELCO), the AMSR-E manufacturer, has analyzed the stresses that the instrument will undergo during this maneuver and agreed that they are sustainable by the instrument in space.

The AMSR-E data flow from the NASA EOS Data and Operations System (EDOS), where the data from the platform will be captured, to the eventual users of the AMSR-E standard products is outlined in the figure below. Using predicted versus definitive navigation data is still an issue for discussion. The AMSR-E team believes that the predicted navigation data will result in negligible errors in the Earth location; the AMSR team is studying this issue, and reprocessing will depend on the outcome of this analysis.

The AMSR-E Science Data Validation plan was briefly discussed. A large part of the ADEOS II Workshop was devoted to AMSR science data validation discussions, so, at the joint team meeting, it was quickly agreed to collaborate on a joint validation plan. NASDA will have its first draft of the plan in March, and then we will discuss merging the two plans.

Both AMSR Science Teams will be attending the 6^th Specialist Meeting on Microwave Radiometry and Remote Sensing of the Environment in Florence, Italy, March 16-18, 1999. Our next joint Science Team meeting will be held in Florence, immediately following this conference.