The Megha-Tropiques Mission After Seven Years in Space

Abstract

The Megha-Tropiques mission is operating since 12 October, 2011 and serves research and operational objectives related to the tropical water and energy cycle. The satellite is on a low inclination orbit that enhances the sampling over the intertropical belt. The original payloads were dedicated to the estimation of the radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere, the water vapor profiles and the instantaneous precipitation rate. The original suite of geophysical products that was developed permitted to demonstrate the proof of concept of the mission in the early part of its operation. Following an unfortunately expedited exploitation of the conically scanning multispectral radiometer (16 months), efforts have been geared to mitigate the loss by extending the use of the 183 GHz sounder towards the precipitation objectives. This induced some delays in the setting of the current set of products that are now being used for research investigations. Despites not being an operational meteorological satellite, the real time capability of the mission has shown its usefulness with a large and growing set of Numerical Weather Prediction centers assimilating the Megha-Tropiques data, in clear and total skies. After 7 years in space, the satellite and operating instruments are in excellent shape and sustain their very good initial performances. The mission has acquired a large and unique set of observations of the tropical water and energy cycle which is only at the beginning of its exploitation.