Ground Performance Measurements of the Glory Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor

The Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor (APS) is the primary Earth observing instrument of the Glory Mission. It is expected to launch into space in the 4th quarter of 2010. This paper summarizes results from the APS ground-testing, completed in 2009. Ground testing established that the instrument meets or exceeds performance requirements: SNR, dynamic range, radiometric accuracy, polarimetric accuracy, response vs. scan angle, boresight co-alignment, and calibration sources accuracy. The APS demonstrated excellent performance stability during sensor and spacecraft level testing over a wide range of environmental conditions. The APS will be a significant improvement over existing sensors that measure aerosols from space. It will provide the scientific community with new information about the distribution and properties of aerosols around the globe. Scientists will use APS data to estimate the radiative forcing imposed on the Earth by aerosols, to assess the effects of aerosols on the Earth’s climate