Spaceborne Architecture
Spacecraft: AOS-Polar | AOS-Inclined | HAWCsat | PMM
NASA-led Spacecraft:
- AOS-P - Space Segment Polar
- 97° inclination (i.e., polar) orbit
- Sun synchronous
- 1:30 AM/PM equator crossing
- AOS-I – Space Segment GPM
- 55° inclined orbit, similar to GPM (final inclination may be different)
International contributions are marked with flags. Other elements will be provided by NASA/US. Information regarding other candidate architectures considered for this mission.
| Instrument | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AOS-Polar | ||
| Ka + W Doppler Radar | Medium satellite radar | W-band Doppler nadir only, 1.9X1 km horizontal resolution; Ka-band Doppler, 15 km swath, 300-500 m vertical resolution, 2.4 km horizontal resolution |
| Microwave Radiometer | Small satellite radiometer | 89-113, 183, 325, 640-700 GHz, 10 km resolution, 750 km swath |
| HSRL Lidar | Medium satellite lidar | 532nm HSRL, 1064nm backscatter lidar, 30 m vertical resolution, 100 m footprint |
| Multi-angle Polarimeter | Small-medium satellite polarimeter | 9 bands in the 380 to 1570 nm wavelength range, 0.5 km resolution, 300 km swath, multi-angle |
| FIR Imaging Radiometer | Small satellite imaging radiometer | 8 bands in the 4 - 73 µm wavelength range with 1 km resolution, 100 km swath |
| AOS-Inclined | ||
| Microwave Radiometer | Small satellite radiometer | 89, 183, 325 GHz, 3-10 km resolution, 700 km swath |
| Backscatter Lidar | Small satellite lidar | 532 nm, 1064 nm backscatter lidar, 60 m vertical resolution, 350 m footprint |
| HAWCsat | ||
| Aerosol Limb Imagers | Small satellite limb imager | 10 bands in the 610 - 1560 nm wavelength range with 0.25 km vertical resolution, 200 km swath |
| Water Vapor Limb Imager | Small satellite limb imager | 1362.00 – 1368.32 nm wavelength range with 0.13 km vertical resolution, 63 km swath |
| PMM | ||
| Ku Wide-Swath Radar with Doppler | Small satellite radar | Ku-band Doppler, 500 m vertical resolution, 250 km swath, 5 km horizontal resolution |
| Microwave Radiometer | Small satellite radiometer | 89, 183, 325 GHz, 3-10 km resolution, 700 km swath |
Launch: AOS-I will launch mid-2028, followed by AOS-P in December 2031. PMM will launch in 2028 and HAWCsat will launch in 2030.