Initial On-Orbit Performance Assessments of the Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR)

The Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR) is the first space-based radiometer to utilize electronic polarization basis rotation (EPBR) to measure a swath of polarimetric brightness temperatures without the need to scan the receiver electronics. The COWVR instrument also utilizes internal calibration with noise diode standards to facilitate implementation of the simplified conical-scanning radiometer design. Following successful calibration of the instrument on-orbit by the multi-agency COWVR Cal/Val team, data provided by the mission Ground Data Processing System (GDPS) was assessed. An analysis of COWVR wind speed and direction performance was performed utilizing matchups with wind retrievals from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) on Metop-B and -C. This analysis found that COWVR meets its Ocean Surface Vector Wind requirements established for the COWVR mission. Additional wind speed and direction performance assessments comparing 1) COWVR and ASCAT retrievals and 2) COWVR against the U.S. Navy's Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) are included. Data Assimilation (DA) trials were successfully performed by assimilating the COWVR vertically- and horizontally polarized brightness temperatures data and were assessed using the Forecast Sensitivity-based Observation Impacts (FSOI).