Continuity of L-band passive microwave capabilities with CIMR

The diagram illustrates the three first satellite missions designed to measure the radiation emitted from the Earth at L-band (ESA's SMOS, NASA/CONAE Aquarius/SAC-D and NASA SMAP) and their continuation through the candidate mission Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR).

CIMR is currently under study for the Expansion phase of the EU Copernicus Space Component. It is an advanced passive microwave radiometer with multifrequency capabilities (L, C, X, Ka, Ku bands) that will bring further the operational monitoring capabilities of the polar regions, with a 6-h temporal revisit and global coverage every 2-days. The primary objectives of CIMR are measuring all-weather, high-resolution, high-accuracy, sub-daily observations of sea-ice concentration (SIC), sea ice extent (SIE) and sea-surface temperature (SST). Secondary objectives include measuring global land and ocean parameters such as sea ice thickness (SIC), sea surface salinity (SSS), soil moisture (SM), vegetation optical depth (VOD) and freeze/thaw state.

For more information, see https://cimr.eu and #CIMReu on Twitter.