AN ANECDOTAL REVIEW OF NASA EARTH OBSERVING SATELLITE REMOTE SENSORS AND RADIOMETRIC CALIBRATION METHODS

An anecdotal history of the evolution of satellite remote sensors for making Earth observations in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet spe ctral regions during the past three decades at the National Aeronautic s and Space Administration (NASA) is presented together with an interc omparison of the earlier scanning remote sensors and the Moderate Reso lution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) of the Earth Observing System (EOS) project. Developments in the pre-launch and in-flight radiometr ic calibration systems and techniques for these satellite remote scann ers, sounders and television imagers are highlighted.