Teams within the Biosphric Sciences Laboratory are responsible for the characterization and calibration of NASA’s passive optical imaging instruments, including Terra and Aqua MODIS, NPP and JPSS VIIRS, EO-1 ALI/Hyperion, and Landsat. Calibration involves relating observed instrument response to physical radiance or reflectance units, and is a basic requirement for producing climate-quality biophysical products and long-term assessments of how the Earth is changing. Calibration work involves laboratory measurements (made in collaboration with the National Institute for Standards and Technology), pre-launch characterization of new instruments, and assessing on-orbit performance for years or even decades following launch.
Areas of Investigation
GSFC Calibration Laboratory (J. Butler)
GSFC laser calibration setup (Courtesy Joel McCorkel)