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Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate

Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR)

A cumulonimbus cloud over Africa seen from the International Space Station in 2008.
PolSIR will study high-altitude ice clouds, such as this ice cloud seen from the International Space Station in 2008.

The Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR) is an instrument that will be used to help understand Earth’s dynamic atmosphere as well as its impact on climate. The PolSIR instrument will study high altitude ice clouds in tropical and sub-tropical regions using identical pairs of radiometers that will fly on two CubeSats (small satellites like portable electric ovens).

These will provide crucial information on how the ice clouds in Earth’s atmosphere affect the climate system. The ETD will be contributing to this mission by building the two instruments which will fly in orbits to observe the full diurnal cycle of cloud ice content.

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