Exelis' Cross Track Infrared Sounder instrument, image courtesy of ITT.
....is now fully operational and capturing invaluable weather data from space. After launching October 28, 2011, and completing on-orbit preparation, the Exelis-built Cross Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) instrument began measuring atmospheric profiles for temperature, moisture, and pressure from space to the Earth’s surface. Called soundings, these measurements are crucial for global weather models, which directly impact two- to seven-day weather forecasts in the U.S. The sounding accuracy of CrIS is well beyond the capabilities of previous operational sounders. CrlS enables weather forecasters to more accurately predict days in advance the path and severity of weather like tornados and snowstorms.
“CrIS is the first U.S. operational hyperspectral sounding instrument and will be one of the most effective instruments for weather forecasting missions today,” said Rob Mitrevski, vice president and general manager, Integrated Geospatial Sensing Systems and Environmental Intelligence at Exelis Geospatial Systems. “The CrIS instrument will benefit communities by providing more accurate predictions of weather patterns and storm tracks. This milestone is a testament to our ability to help our customers see and solve some of the world’s toughest problems.”
CrIS is an integral part of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP), the next-generation U.S. climate and weather monitoring system. CrIS is the first in a series of advanced operational sounders, flying at an altitude of 512 miles and circling the globe as much as 14 times per day. Sounders work by measuring the energy through an atmospheric column from the ground up through the clouds. The sounders flying today for the U.S. provide 19 slices of the column. The CriS instrument will take more than 1,000 slices — critical for improving weather forecast models by providing more detailed information about moisture, temperature, and pressure. ITT Exelis company information here.