Calibration and validation on-orbit plan of the NPOESS Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CRIS)

Calibration and validation of sensors is important for understanding how a sensor operates during its mission and shows the level of measurements that can be expected. The calibration is an on-going process throughout the mission but is most critical when the complete system comes together and during its initial stage after reaching orbit. Careful planning is required to accurately and efficiently collect data that characterizes the sensors response, process the data in a timely manner to generate results that are useful to mission science, apply the results for processing algorithms, and have a process for improvement as additional information about the sensor becomes available. This paper describes the calibration and validation plan of early on-orbit operations of the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). The CrIS sensor is currently integrated on the NPP spacecraft that is scheduled to launch in October 2011.