Filling temporal observational gaps from the tropics to the mid-latitudes in passive microwave atmospheric sounding and clouds and precipitation remote sensing using small satellites (Conference Presentation)

Passive microwave sensors provide critical observations for initialization and validation of regional and global weather forecasting models. Although much progress has been made in global climate modeling, extreme weather events are still misrepresented in parameterizations, largely due to a lack of sufficient observations. At the same time, passive microwave sensors perform Earth observation exclusively from low Earth orbit (LEO), so their limited number leads to substantial temporal sampling gaps from the tropics and sub-tropics to the mid-latitudes, where cyclones and other precipitating storms cause the greatest damage to life and property. The accuracy, precision, and long-term stability of TEMPEST-D microwave radiometer operation on a 6U CubeSat throughout the three-year mission demonstrated the potential for substantial enhancement of temporal observations from the tropics to the mid-latitudes. Future constellations of passive microwave sensors on small satellites in LEO are expected to provide greatly enhanced temporal observations for atmospheric sounding and remote sensing of clouds and precipitation.