High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR)

satellite

The airborne High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) technology demonstration instrument is a 25-channel cross-track microwave sounder that uses Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology to reduce the size and mass of the instrument while improving measurement sensitivity and accuracy. HAMSR analyzes the heat radiation (brightness temperature) emitted by atmospheric oxygen and water molecules to determine their density and temperature. The instrument operates at microwave frequencies that can penetrate clouds, enabling it to determine temperature, humidity, and cloud structure under all weather conditions. This capability enables the instrument to be used in studies of atmospheric processes associated with bad weather, like the conditions present during atmospheric river events.

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