First experience and results from the spaceborne imaging spectrometer MOS-IRS

Abstract

On March 21. 1996 the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite IRS-P3 was launched by the Indian PSLV-D3 rocket into a sunsynchroneous polar orbit. The mission is a joint experiment of the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO and the German Aerospace Research Establishment DLR. The remote sensing payload consists of the imaging spectrometer MOS developed and built by the Institute of Space Sensor Technology, DLR and the wide field sensor WiFS built by ISRO. The MOS spectrometer was specially designed for remote sensing of the ocean-atmosphere system, with main application for ocean color remote sensing. For this purpose it realizes measurements in 18 spectral bands in the VIS/NIR and at 1.6 micron. The MOS is operated regularily since March 1996 and sends real-time data to two ground stations: the German Station in Neustrelitz near Berlin and the Indian ground station near Hyderabad. In addition to instrument development at the Institute of Space Sensor Technology are also conducted works on algorithm development for the retrieval of geophysical parameters from MOS data as well as calibration and validation experiments. The paper focusses on the experience from the first months of operation in orbit and presents first examples of results obtained from MOS-IRS data over European coastal waters.