PREFIRE Spectral Radiance from PREFIRE Satellite 2 R01

Dual CubeSats each carry a TIRS-PREFIRE, a push broom spectrometer with 63 channels measuring mid- and far-infrared (FIR) radiation from approximately 5 to 53 µm.

Most polar emissions are in the FIR but have not been measured on a large scale. PREFIRE aims to fill knowledge gaps in the global energy budget by more accurately characterizing polar emissions. This information will then be assimilated into global circulation and other climate models to predict future climates more accurately.PREFIRE_SAT2_1B-RAD data are processed by geolocating the calibrated radiance data in PREFIRE_SAT2_1A-RAD using the pointing and position telemeters in PREFIRE_SAT2_0-BUS-TLM and a Digital Elevation Map.The PREFIRE_SAT2_1B-RAD data are used to analyze the radiative budget in polar regions and as an input for Level 2 products: top-of-atmosphere spectral flux, surface spectral emissivity, and atmospheric properties such as cloud cover, temperature profiles, and water vapor profiles.Science data retrieval started June 29, 2024, and is ongoing.