Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a scanning radiometer that will fly as a facility instrument on the NASA polar-orbiting earth observing system (EOS) spacecraft. The first MODIS instrument is scheduled for launch in 1998 on the first EOS-AM spacecraft. MODIS is designed to provide critical data necessary to monitor global change and provide information vital to understanding the Earth as a system. This paper provides an overview of the MODIS requirements and system design. The operation of the instrument is described from photons in to formatted data out. Brief descriptions of the key functional subsystems of the instrument are provided. Predicted performance is summarized for critical areas including radiometric sensitivity and calibration accuracy, modulation transfer function pointing accuracy, and spectral band registration.