SMAP Radiometer versus Radio Frequency Interference
- Produced by:
- Matthew Radcliff
- Videography:
- Rob Andreoli
- View full credits
The microwave radiometer on NASA's SMAP mission was designed and built at Goddard Space Flight Center to avoid unwanted radio frequency interference. Instrument Scientist Jeff Piepmeier explains how and why.
For complete transcript, click here.
Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.
The microwave radiometer on NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite was designed and built at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Along with the microwave radar, data from the radiometer will be used to calculate the water content of Earth's soil.
All types of soil emit microwave radiation, but the amount of water changes how much of this energy is emitted. The drier the soil, the more microwave energy; the wetter the soil, the less energy.
But radio frequency interference is a problem, even though the instrument is passively listening in a region of the microwave spectrum where transmission is prohibited. Some of the signals from the surrounding regions leak into the protected "listen-only" band. Goddard engineers developed new hardware and software to search for and cut out the erroneous measurements.
All types of soil emit microwave radiation, but the amount of water changes how much of this energy is emitted. The drier the soil, the more microwave energy; the wetter the soil, the less energy.
But radio frequency interference is a problem, even though the instrument is passively listening in a region of the microwave spectrum where transmission is prohibited. Some of the signals from the surrounding regions leak into the protected "listen-only" band. Goddard engineers developed new hardware and software to search for and cut out the erroneous measurements.
For More Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Animator
- Brian Monroe (USRA)
Writer
- Kate Ramsayer (Telophase)
Video editor
- Matthew Radcliff (KBRwyle)
Scientist
- Jeff Piepmeier (NASA/GSFC)
Producer
- Matthew Radcliff (KBRwyle) [Lead]
Narrator
- Swarupa Nune (InuTeq)
Videographers
- Rob Andreoli (AIMM) [Lead]
- John Caldwell (AIMM)
Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Tapes
This visualization originally appeared on the following tapes:- None
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