Microwave Radiometer for Space Science and DREAM Mission of STSAT-2

The microwave instruments are used many areas of the space remote sensing and space science applications. The imaging radar of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is well known microwave radar sensor for earth surface and ocean research. Unlike radar, microwave radiometer is passive instrument and it measures the emission energy of target, i.e. brightness temperature BT, from earth surface and atmosphere. From measured BT, the geophysical data like cloud liquid water, water vapor, sea surface temperature, surface permittivity can be retrieved. In this paper, the radiometer characteristics, system configuration and principle of BT measurement are described. Also the radiometer instruments TRMM, GPM, SMOS for earth climate, and ocean salinity research are introduce. As first korean microwave payload on STSAT-2, the DREAM (Dual-channels Radiometer for Earth and Atmosphere Monitoring) is described the mission, system configuration and operation plan for life time of two years. The main issues of DREAM unlike other spaceborne radiometers, will be addressed. The calibration is the one of main issues of DREAM mission and how it contribute on the space borne radiometer. In conclusion, the radiometer instrument to space science application will be considered.