Gap analyses by variable or by type of mission

Please select either a variable or a type of mission to display a time chart of satellite instruments having the potential to provide the corresponding measurements. The selection is based on design characteristics (Expert analysis) or declared mission objectives (Simplified analysis). Such a preliminary analysis does not replace a detailed assessment of the actual instrument performances, data availability, and quality of derived environmental data records against specific user requirements.

Note: The chart can be sorted by clicking on the header columns and filtered by instrument properties when applicable. Select the period of interest with the cursor at the bottom of the chart. Future missions which are not firmly planned are shaded with stripes. A warning icon (Important note) indicates degraded satellite: hover over the icon for details. The chart is followed by a table of all potentially relevant instruments.

Select a variable

or select a type of mission

Instrument types
Analysis
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In "Simplified" mode, the results in the analysis are calculated by looking at each instrument's mission objectives: for each instrument we keep track of what the primary, secondary, and opportunity mission objectives are. These mission objectives indicate that an instrument is primarily envisioned to measure variable X, Y and Z, that variables A, B and C are its secondary objective, and that it may offer the opportunity to measure variables I and II although it is not optimized for that. The simplified Gap analysis produces a timeline based on this information. The simplified Gap analysis is only available for analyzing variables, not for missions.
In "Expert system" mode, the results in the analysis are calculated with an expert system. Internally, OSCAR works with a large set of 1700 rules that determine whether or not an instrument is capable of measuring a given variable, and to what degree. When you select "Expert system", the Gap analysis is performed based on this large set of rules.

Variable sorting criteria

 

Each instrument is assigned with a 5-step rating, evaluated as a blend of several elements.  For this particular Variable, the rating is driven by:

  • the observing technique (active radio waves, radio  occultation, altimetry);
  • the observed volume (magnetosphere, Earth’s limb, platform environment, interplanetary space).

 

RATING CRITERIA:

1
  • Active radio-wave in the magnetosphere and Earth’s limb

2
  • Cluster of radio occultation sounders

3
  • Radio occultation sounder with directional antenna(s)

4
  • Radio occultation sounder with omni-directional antenna
  • Dual-frequency radar altimeter

5
  • Active radio-wave in the platform environment or the interplanetary space
Measurement timeline for Ionospheric Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC)

Definition:

Number of electrons between two points. 

Hint: Move around in the timeline by scrolling up, down, left or right.

Found 66 results

This table has a large number of results.
HideShow inactive instruments
Instrument NRT? Relevance Satellite Orbit
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
2039
2040
2041
2042
2043
2044
2045
2046
2047
CERTO1 - primaryC/NOFS13 °
X
XXXXXX
X
CERTO/TBB Important noteNo1 - primaryCOSMIC-172 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
X
CITRIS1 - primarySTPSat-137.4 °
X
X
X
LAERTES1 - primaryIonosphere N1 & N2TBDXXXX
LAERTES1 - primaryIonosphere N3 & N4TBDXXXX
MAYAK1 - primaryIonosphere N1 & N2TBDXXXX
MAYAK1 - primaryIonosphere N3 & N4TBDXXXX
RFB1 - primaryCOSMIC-224 °
X
XXXXXXX
RPI1 - primaryIMAGE90 °
X
XXXX
X
WHISPER1 - primaryCLUSTER-B90 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
WHISPER1 - primaryCLUSTER-D90 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
WHISPER1 - primaryCLUSTER-A90 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
WHISPER1 - primaryCLUSTER-C90 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
CER1 - primaryCASSIOPE80 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXX
CION2 - very highCICERO
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
STRATOS2 - very highLemur-2
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
IGOR (COSMIC) Important noteNo2 - very highCOSMIC-172 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
X
TGRS (COSMIC-2)2 - very highCOSMIC-224 °
X
XXXXXXX
ARMA-MP3 - highMeteor-MP N115:30 ascXXXXXXXX
ARMA-MP3 - highMeteor-MP N209:30 descXXXXXXXX
GNSS-RO (Sentinel-6)3 - highSentinel-6A66 °
X
XXXXXXX
GNSS-RO (Sentinel-6)3 - highSentinel-6B66 °XXXXXXXX
AOPOD3 - highKOMPSAT-506:00 asc
X
XXXXXXXX
GNOS Important noteYes3 - highFY-3C09:07 desc
X
XXXXXXXX
GNOSYes3 - highFY-3D13:29 asc
X
XXXXX
GNOS-23 - highFY-3G50 °XXXXXX
GNOS-23 - highFY-3J50 °XXXXXX
GNOS-23 - highFY-3E05:30 descXXXXXX
GNOS-23 - highFY-3H14:00 ascXXXXXX
GNOS-23 - highFY-3F10:00 descXXXXXX
GNOS-23 - highFY-3I05:30 descXXXXXX
RO3 - highMetop-SG-A109:30 descXXXXXXXX
RO3 - highMetop-SG-A209:30 descXXXXXXXX
RO3 - highMetop-SG-A309:30 descXXXXXXXX
RO3 - highMetop-SG-B109:30 descXXXXXXXX
RO3 - highMetop-SG-B209:30 descXXXXXXXX
RO3 - highMetop-SG-B309:30 descXXXXXXXX
GOLPE3 - highSAC-C10:20 desc
X
XXXXXXXXXXXX
X
IGOR (TacSat-2)3 - highTacSat-240 °
X
X
ROSA Important note3 - highSAC-D06:00 desc
X
XXX
X
ROSA Important note3 - highMegha-Tropiques20 °
X
XXXXXXX
X
GPS/MET3 - highOrbView-1/MicroLab70 °
X
XX
ROSA (OceanSat)No3 - highOceanSat-211:53 desc
X
XXXXXXXXXXXX
TRSR (Ørsted) Important noteNo3 - highØrsted96.5 °
X
XXXXXXX
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fairHY-2B06:00 desc
X
XXXXX
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fairHY-2C66 °
X
XXXXX
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fairHY-2D66 °XXXXXX
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fairHY-2E06:00 descXXXXXX
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fairHY-2F66 °XXXXXX
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fairHY-2G66 °XXXXXX
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fairHY-2A06:00 desc
X
XXXXXXXXXX
Altimeter4 - fairSWOT78 °XXXX
Altimeter (COMPIRA)4 - fairCOMPIRA51 °XXXXXX
NRA4 - fairTOPEX-Poseidon66 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXXX
X
Poseidon-24 - fairJASON-166 °
X
XXXXXXXXXXX
X
Poseidon-34 - fairJASON-266 °
X
XXXXXXXXXX
X
Poseidon-3BYes4 - fairJASON-366 °
X
XXXXX
Poseidon-44 - fairSentinel-6A66 °
X
XXXXXXX
Poseidon-44 - fairSentinel-6B66 °XXXXXXXX
RA-24 - fairEnvisat10:00 desc
X
XXXXXXXXX
X
SRALYes4 - fairSentinel-3B10:00 desc
X
XXXXXXX
SRAL4 - fairSentinel-3C10:00 descXXXXXXXX
SRAL4 - fairSentinel-3D10:00 descXXXXXXXX
SRALYes4 - fairSentinel-3A10:00 desc
X
XXXXXXX
CORISS4 - fairC/NOFS13 °
X
XXXXXX
X
TPMU Important note5 - marginalPROBA-206:00 asc
X
XXXXXXXXXXXX
All instruments for measuring Ionospheric Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC)
Instruments Relevance Operational limitations
CERTO1 - primary
CERTO/TBB1 - primary
CITRIS1 - primary
LAERTES1 - primary
MAYAK1 - primary
RFB1 - primary
RPI1 - primary
WHISPER1 - primary
CER1 - primary
CION2 - very high
STRATOS2 - very high
IGOR (COSMIC)2 - very high
TGRS (COSMIC-2)2 - very high
ARMA-MP3 - high
GNSS-RO (Sentinel-6)3 - high
AOPOD3 - high
GNOS3 - high
GNOS-23 - high
GNSS-RO3 - high
Radiomet3 - high
RO3 - high
GOLPE3 - high
IGOR (TacSat-2)3 - high
ROSA3 - high
GPS/MET3 - high
ROSA (OceanSat)3 - high
TRSR (Ørsted)3 - high
ALT (HY-2A)4 - fair
Altimeter4 - fair
Altimeter (COMPIRA)4 - fair
NRA4 - fair
Poseidon-24 - fair
Poseidon-34 - fair
Poseidon-3B4 - fair
Poseidon-44 - fair
RA-24 - fair
SRAL4 - fair
CORISS4 - fair
TPMU5 - marginal