TES
Aura's Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer
Aura's Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) was the first instrument designed to monitor ozone in the lowest layers of the atmosphere directly from space. Its high-resolution observations led to new measurements of atmospheric gases that have altered our understanding of the Earth system.
It’s high-resolution infrared-imaging Fourier transform spectrometer offers a line-width-limited discrimination of essentially all radiatively active molecular species in the Earth's lower atmosphere.
TES has significantly more the spectral resolution of the AIRS instrument being flown aboard Aqua. TES employs both the natural thermal emission of the surface and atmosphere and reflected sunlight, thereby providing day-night coverage anywhere on the globe.
TES operates in a combination of limb and nadir mode (called global survey mode) every other. On alternate days, TES does special observations including "step and stare" mode and assessment of special targets like volcanoes.
In the News
Farewell to a Pioneering Pollution Sensor
On January 31, 2018, NASA ended the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer's (TES) almost 14-year career of discovery.
On Jan. 31, NASA ended the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer's (TES) almost 14-year career of discovery. Launched in 2004 on NASA's Aura spacecraft, TES was the first instrument designed to monitor ozone in the lowest layers of the atmosphere directly from space. Its high-resolution observations led to new measurements of atmospheric gases that have altered our understanding of the Earth system.
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The Atmosphere: Earth’s Security Blanket
Earth's atmosphere is essential to life, yet the invisible gases that form our "security blanket" can be hard to grasp.…
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