Geolocation and Pointing Accuracy Analysis for the WindSat Sensor

Geolocation and pointing accuracy analyses of the WindSat flight data are presented. The two topics were intertwined in the flight data analysis and will be addressed together. WindSat has no unusual geolocation requirements relative to other sensors, but its beam pointing knowledge accuracy is espe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Purdy, William E, Gaiser, Peter W, Poe, Gene A, Uliana, Enzo A, Meissner, Thomas, Wentz, Frank J
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
BEAM POINTING KNOWLEDGE ACCURACY
Cartography and Aerial Photography
COASTAL REGIONS
COASTLINE MATCHUPS
Cybernetics
EARTH ORBITS
ERROR ANALYSIS
FLIGHT DATA ANALYSIS
FLIGHT PATHS
GEOLOCATION
IMAGE REGISTRATION
POLARIMETRIC MICROWAVE RADIOMETERS
POLARIMETRY
POSITION(LOCATION)
RADIOMETRY
Spacecraft Trajectories and Reentry
WINDSAT
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Summary:Geolocation and pointing accuracy analyses of the WindSat flight data are presented. The two topics were intertwined in the flight data analysis and will be addressed together. WindSat has no unusual geolocation requirements relative to other sensors, but its beam pointing knowledge accuracy is especially critical to support accurate polarimetric radiometry. Pointing accuracy was improved and verified using geolocation analysis in conjunction with scan bias analysis. Two methods were needed to properly identify and differentiate between data time tagging and pointing knowledge errors. Matchups comparing coastlines indicated in imagery data with their known geographic locations were used to identify geolocation errors. These coastline matchups showed possible pointing errors with ambiguities as to the true source of the errors. Scan bias analysis of U, the third Stokes parameter, and of vertical and horizontal polarizations provided measurement of pointing offsets resolving ambiguities in the coastline matchup analysis. Several geolocation and pointing bias sources were incrementally eliminated resulting in pointing knowledge and geolocation accuracy that met all design requirements. Produced in collaboration with the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC; Interferometrics, Inc., Chantilly, VA; and Remote Sensing Systems, Santa Rosa, CA. Published in IEEE Transactions of Geoscience and Remote Sensing, v44, n3, p496-505, Mar 2006. The original document contains color images.