First Light Capabilities of UVSQ-SAT NG NanoCam: Preliminary Limb Temperature Retrieval from a CubeSat Imager

This study assesses the technical feasibility of using polar orbiting satellite constellations to generate temperature profiles in the middle atmosphere, based on image analysis from the UVSQ-Sat NG nanosatellite. We first identified the phenomena influencing the temperature of this layer of the atmosphere, specifying their amplitudes and spatio-temporal resolutions. We then present the UVSQ-Sat NG nanosatellite and its Nanocam instrument, whose images of the Earth’s limb served as the basis for our processing. Finally, we detail the processing methodology, demonstrating its applicability to any image of the Earth’s limb acquired in the spectral range from near-UV to near-IR, subject to the following strict conditions: a measurement dynamic range greater than 1000 and rigorous control of instrumental noise. This approach paves the way for continuous, global monitoring of the middle atmosphere, which is essential for improving climate and weather models.