WindSat is a multi-frequency polarimetric microwave radiometer with similar frequencies to the AMSR-E sensor, with the addition of full polarisation for 10.7, 18.7 and 37.0GHz channels and the lack of an 89.0GHz channel. Developed by the Naval Research Laboratory, it is one of the two primary instruments on the Coriolis satellite launched on 6th January 2003. WindSat is continuing to outlive its three year design life, with data free of charge to scientists from here. WindSat data can be downloaded from NRL.The possibility of downscale space-borne L-band brightness temperature observations and soil moisture products using WindSat data will be tested.

 

The features of WindSat are summarized below.

Mission	WindSat
Sensor	Polarimetric microwave radiometer
Spacecraft	Coriolis
Launch date	6th, Jan. 2006
Design life	3 years
Orbit	Sun-synchronous orbit, at an altitude of 840km.
Spacecraft operations control centre	U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Center frequency (GHz)	6.8	10.7	18.7	23.8	37.0
Band Width (MHz)	125	300	750	500	2000
Polarisation	V, H	V, H, ±45, L, R	V, H, ±45, L, R	V, H	V, H, ±45, L, R
Incidence angle(°)	53.5	49.9	55.3	53.0	53.0
Swath	1025km, ~1000km in forward-looking, ~350km in aft-looking.
Spatial resolution (km)	40 × 60	25 × 38	16 × 27	12 × 20	8 × 13
Temporal resolution	~8 days