HR: 1340h
AN: IN13B-1088    [Abstracts]
TI: Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (MOSS): A Mission for Global Observations of Deep Soil Moisture
AU: * Moghaddam, M
EM: mmoghadd@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, EECS 1301 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AU: Rodriguez, E
EM: ernesto.rodriguez@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive , Pasadena, CA 91109
AU: Rahmat-Samii, Y
EM: rahmat@ee.ucla.edu
AF: University of California Los Angeles, EE Department 58-121 Engr IV, Los Angeles, CA 90095
AU: Moller, D
EM: Delwyn.Moller@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive , Pasadena, CA 91109
AU: Hoffman, J P
EM: James.P.Hoffman@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive , Pasadena, CA 91109
AU: Pierce, L
EM: lep@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, EECS 1301 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AU: Huang, J
EM: John.Huang@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive , Pasadena, CA 91109
AB: The microwave observatory of subcanopy and subsurface (MOSS) Instrument Incubator project has developed a mission concept and advanced the technologies for a SAR mission that provides global observations of soil moisture under substantial vegetation canopies and at useful depths. This VHF/UHF polarimetric SAR is designed to provide 7-10 day repeat observations of soil moisture under substantial vegetation canopies and at depths reaching 1-5 meters, at 1 Km resolution. Due to the rapid repeat cycle, the required swath width is 300-400 Km, which must be realized by a 30m long antenna. Conventional array implementations would result in a mass of over 4000 Kg, whereas with the technology proposed and demonstrated in this project, the total antenna mass becomes about 400 kg. This antenna concept is implemented by a dual-stack patch array feed illuminating a 30m mesh reflector to synthesize the required long rectangular apertures and achieve the wide swath. This feed system was designed, and a prototype built and demonstrated. Initially, a scaled version was built and tested, which was also integrated with a scaled reflector antenna for demonstration of the overall antenna system. The full-size low frequency feed was also built and its performance successfully demonstrated. The technology was therefore taken to TRL 5-6 from 3. Other components of this project were the demonstration of the science data and products, which was achieved through a tower-based VHF/UHF radar. Experimental data were generated for deep penetration in the Arizona desert, as well as for forest penetration in a dense forest in Oregon. The soil moisture products were demonstrated and in so doing, a new integrated inversion-processing algorithm was developed. This paper will present the overall mission concept, technologies developed, science data products, and the recommended next steps.
DE: 0609 Antennas
DE: 0758 Remote sensing
DE: 1655 Water cycles (1836)
DE: 1866 Soil moisture
SC: Earth and Space Science Informatics [IN]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005