MASTER Airborne Multispectral Imagery for Instrument Calibration, 1999

June 18-30, 1999 data includes Level 1B georeferenced multispectral imagery from the MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) instrument. The dataset covers flights over California, Nevada, and the eastern Pacific Ocean aboard DC-8 and NASA ER-2 aircraft, containing calibrated radiance data across 50 spectral bands. It was coordinated by NASA's Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight Research Center for instrument validation and cross-calibration.

Use Cases

• Cross-calibration of satellite sensors using airborne-measured radiance across 50 spectral bands.
• Analysis of land surface temperature and emissivity using thermal infrared bands (up to 12.879 micrometers).
• Validation of atmospheric correction algorithms with spatially resolved radiance data (7-50 meter resolution).
• Study of flight path dynamics and instrument configuration for airborne campaign planning.
• Generation of browse images for quick visual assessment of georeferenced multispectral scenes.

Strengths

• Contains calibrated radiance data across 50 specific spectral bands from 0.460 to 12.879 micrometers.
• Provides georeferenced imagery at a defined spatial resolution ranging from 7 to 50 meters.
• Includes ancillary data such as flight paths, instrument configuration, and spectral band information for each of three flights.

Limitations

• Primary data is from a short, specific campaign in June 1999, limiting temporal applicability.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03 13, while NASA Earthdata lists 1999-06-30.
• Exact file size, row count, and detailed column structure are not provided across platforms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Dryden/Armstrong Flight Research Center.

Collection Method

Data collected by the MASTER instrument aboard DC-8 and NASA ER-2 aircraft during a coordinated flight campaign.

Time Range

1999-06-18 to 1999-06-30

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:59:43.228390

Geography

California, Nevada, and the eastern Pacific Ocean.