Status of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer instrument for EOS-AM1 and its application to remote sensing of aerosols

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument is currently under development at JPL for the AM1 spacecraft in the Earth Observing System (EOS) series. MISR consists of nine pushbroom cameras, and will provide global coverage in four visible/near-infrared spectral bands. This measurement strategy provides systematic multi-angle imagery of the Earth for studies of aerosols, surface radiation, and clouds. An on-board calibrator consisting of deployable solar diffusers and a set of stable photodiodes provides a high-accuracy detector-based calibration. In this paper the authors report on the progress of the instrument fabrication and testing and focus on the application of MISR's unique observational strategy to studies of tropospheric aerosols.