Publications

Pearlman, A; Montanaro, M; Efremova, B; McCorkel, J; Wenny, B; Lunsford, A; Reuter, D (2021). Prelaunch Radiometric Calibration and Uncertainty Analysis of Landsat Thermal Infrared Sensor 2. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING, 59(4), 2715-2726.

Abstract
The Thermal Infrared Sensor-2 (TIRS-2) that will be onboard Landsat 9 has undergone a prelaunch testing campaign to characterize its radiometric, spectral, and spatial performances and demonstrate compliance to its requirements. This work reviews the key elements of the instrument-level radiometric testing using an SI-traceable source to derive its uncertainties. Those arising from on-orbit calibration using the TIRS-2 onboard blackbody are also discussed. We use a Monte Carlo approach to propagate the uncertainties through a nonlinear calibration equation and address both random and systematic uncertainty terms. Achieving the required performance demonstrates the instruments potential for enhancing our understanding of the Earths environment.

DOI:
10.1109/TGRS.2020.3008655

ISSN:
0196-2892