MODIS Airborne Simulator 50m Radiance Data for Algorithm Development

MODIS Airborne Simulator calibrated radiance data provides high-resolution airborne measurements supporting MODIS satellite algorithm development. The sensor, developed by Daedalus Enterprises for NASA's ER-2 aircraft, emulates MODIS spectral channels at a 50-meter spatial resolution. It has been deployed for multiple field campaigns since its first mission in 1991.

Use Cases

• Validating MODIS satellite radiance algorithms using higher-resolution 50m airborne spectral data.
• Analyzing the small-scale spatial distribution of geophysical parameters like surface temperature or reflectance.
• Developing new remote sensing methods by comparing MAS spectral channels with MODIS counterparts.
• Studying specific phenomena from field campaigns where the MAS instrument was deployed.

Strengths

• Provides unique high spatial resolution of 50 meters, compared to MODIS's 250-1000 meters.
• Spectral coverage is designed to emulate multiple MODIS channels for direct algorithm support.
• Has a long operational history, with deployments for many field campaigns since 1991.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 2007-08-10 and others listing 2026-03-13.
• License information is inconsistent, listed as 'other-license-specified' on some platforms and 'None' on another.

Provenance

Source

NASA LAADS (Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive & Distribution System).

Collection Method

Data collected by the MAS instrument deployed on NASA's high-altitude ER-2 research aircraft.

Time Range

1991 to present (based on campaign deployments since first mission).

Freshness

2026-03 13 00:27:58.170409

Geography

Global, covering areas of specific NASA field campaigns.