POLDER (POLarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances) is a passive optical imaging radiometer[2] and polarimeter[3] instrument developed by the French space agency CNES.

POLDER 1
Mission typeEarth observation
OperatorCNES
WebsiteCNES Page
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass~30 kg (66 lb)
Power30W
Start of mission
Launch dateAugust 17, 1996 (UTC) (1996-08-17Z)
RocketH-II (POLDER 1)[1]
Launch siteTanegashima Space Center
Main push broom scanner
TypeTelecentric lens
Focal length3.57 mm (0.141 in)
Wavelengths443 and 910 nm FWHM
Resolution242x548 pixels
Transponders
BandFormed broad beam pattern UHF antenna
TWTA power>5W
EIRP27.1 dBm
POLDER 2
Mission typeEarth observation
OperatorCNES
WebsiteCNES Page
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass~30 kg (66 lb)
Power30W
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 14, 2002 (UTC) (2002-12-14Z)
RocketH-IIA (POLDER 1)[1]
Launch siteTanegashima Space Center
Main push broom scanner
TypeTelecentric lens
Focal length3.57 mm (0.141 in)
Wavelengths443 and 910 nm FWHM
Resolution242x548 pixels
Transponders
BandFormed broad beam pattern UHF antenna
TWTA power>5W
EIRP27.1 dBm
POLDER 3
Mission typeEarth observation
OperatorCNES
WebsiteCNES Page
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass~30 kg (66 lb)
Power30W
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 18, 2004 (UTC) (2004-12-18Z)
RocketAriane 5G
Launch siteGuiana Space Centre
Main push broom scanner
TypeTelecentric lens
Focal length3.57 mm (0.141 in)
Wavelengths443 and 910 nm FWHM
Resolution242x548 pixels
Transponders
BandFormed broad beam pattern UHF antenna
TWTA power>5W
EIRP27.1 dBm
PARASOL →

Description

edit

The device was designed to observe solar radiation reflected by Earth's atmosphere, including studies of tropospheric aerosols, sea surface reflectance, bidirectional reflectance distribution function of land surfaces, and the Earth Radiation Budget.[4]

Specifications

edit

POLDER has a mass of approximately 30 kilograms (66 lb), and has a power consumption of 77 W in imaging mode (with a mean consumption of 29 W).[5]

Imaging

edit

POLDER utilizes a push broom scanner. The device's optical system uses a telecentric lens and a charge-coupled device matrix with a resolution of 242x548 pixels.[3] The focal length is 3.57 millimetres (0.141 in) with a focal ratio of 4.6. The field of view ranges from ±43° to ±57°, depending on the tracking method.[3]

Spectral characteristics

edit

The device scans between 443 and 910 nm FWHM, depending on the objective of the measurement. The shorter wavelengths (443–565 nm) typically measure ocean color, whereas the longer wavelengths (670–910 nm) are used to study vegetation and water vapor content.[3]

Data transfer

edit

It transmits data on 465.9875 MHz at bit rate of 200 bit/s, and receives on 401.65 MHz at 400 bit/s.[2] The data rate is 880 kbit/s at a quantization level of 12 bits.

Missions

edit

POLDER was first launched as a passenger instrument aboard ADEOS I[4] on 17 August 1996.[6] The mission ended on 30 June 1997 when communication from the host satellite failed.[7] POLDER 2 was launched in December 2002 aboard ADEOS II. The second mission ended prematurely after 10 months when the satellite's solar panel malfunctioned.[8] A third generation instrument was launched on board the French PARASOL microsatellite. The satellite was maneuvered out of the A-train on 2 December 2009 and permanently shut down on 18 December 2013.[9]

Footnotes

edit
  1. ^ a b Krebs (2010)
  2. ^ a b Kramer (2002, p. 339)
  3. ^ a b c d Kramer (2002, p. 333)
  4. ^ a b Kramer (2002, p. 332)
  5. ^ Kramer (2002, p. 1069)
  6. ^ Kramer (2002, p. 52)
  7. ^ Satellite News Digest (2006)
  8. ^ Satellite News Digest (2003)
  9. ^ "POLDER/PARASOL Mision". University of Lille. Retrieved 9 June 2017.

Sources

edit
  • Kramer, Herbert J (2002), Observation of the Earth and Its Environment: Survey of Missions and Sensors, Berlin, Germany: Springer Science+Business Media, ISBN 3-540-42388-5
  • Krebs, Gunter (2010), ADEOS 1 (Midori 1), Germany: Gunter's Space Page, retrieved 19 September 2010
  • Satellite News Digest (2006), Midori I (ADEOS I), Luebeck, Germany: Sat-ND, archived from the original on 5 October 2011, retrieved 19 September 2010
  • Satellite News Digest (2003), Midori II (ADEOS II), Luebeck, Germany: Sat-ND, archived from the original on 5 October 2011, retrieved 17 September 2010
edit