Title: DopplerScatt Instrument Concept for Simultaneous Measurements of Ocean Surface Vector Winds and Currents - Spaceborne Architecture and Airborne Instrument Test Results
Presenting Author: Dragana Perkovic-Martin
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Co-Author(s): Chad Baldi, Mauricio Sanchez Barbetty, Ken Cooper, Tamas Gal, Ninoslav Majurec, Raquel Rodriguez Monje, Fabien Nicaise, Ernesto Rodriguez, Karthik Srinivasan, Bryan Stiles

Abstract:
Ocean surface currents impact heat transport, surface momentum and gas fluxes, ocean productivity and marine biological communities, as well as social impacts on shipping and disaster management. Ocean vector winds are a key variable governing the transfer of momentum, gases, and latent heat between the atmosphere and the ocean. The ability to simultaneously measure ocean winds and currents would improve the accuracy of both individual measurements, as there is an intrinsic two-way coupling between them. DopplerScatt is a Ka-band pencil beam conically scanning airborne scatterometer being developed under ESTO's Instrument Incubator Program (IIP). The airborne architecture is scalable to space to form the basis of the next-generation spaceborne Earth Science Mission aimed at better understanding climate and weather and ocean circulation. Through the implementation of the project we will demonstrate the first simultaneous wide-swath measurements of the ocean surface winds and currents using a single cost-effective instrument. We will present the instrument spaceborne architecture and report on the integrated airborne instrument testing as we work to bring the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the instrument from its current Level 4. The presentation will also include overview of the engineering flights to be completed by summer of 2016 which will enable TRL 6.