Satellite-borne high-resolution FTIR for lower atmosphere sounding and its evaluation

The interferometric monitor for greenhouse gases (IMG) was the precursor of the high-resolution FTIR aboard on the satellite for Earth observation. The IMG sensor was aboard the advance Earth observing satellite (ADEOS) launched on August 17, 1996. The IMG operated for only eight months; however, the high-resolution thermal infrared spectra obtained provided abundant information on global atmospheric phenomena and the first global maps of greenhouse gases retrieved from the spectra. This paper describes the operation experience in orbit and the evaluation results for the hardware and the products obtained from the IMG observations.