DMSP PRIMARY SENSOR DATA ACQUISITION

Abstract

A Data acquisition system which provides global pictorial cloud cover data for operational military meteorological purposes is described with emphasis on significant design features. These features include near constant geometric resolution through use of an oscillating scanner and variable instantaneous field of view (IFOV), thermal infrared channel output linear with temperature, visible wavelength sensitivity continuous from sub-solar to sublunar, along scan gain control permitting albedo images through the terminator, glare suppression enabling sensing of nighttime scenes in the presence of solar illumination on the spacecraft, wow/flutter correction of video data sampling to that of a reference scan motion, and dual geometric resolution capability from a single detector by synthesis of low resolution data.