The Ozone Monitoring Suite-Nadir (OMS-N) instrument is the first hyperspectral remote sensor in the ultraviolet band of China’s Fengyun series satellites. It can be used to detect several kinds of atmospheric constituents. This paper describes the prelaunch spectral calibration of the OMS-N onboard FengYun 3F. Several critical spectral parameters including the spectral resolution, spectral dispersion, and the instrument spectral response function were determined through laser-based measurements. A secondary peak of the instrument spectral response function from the short wavelength side of the ultraviolet band was found, and the possible influence on data applications was analyzed using a reference solar model and radiative transfer model. The results indicate that the spectral resolution and spectral accuracy of OMS-N meet the mission requirements. However, the asymmetries in the instrument spectral response function in the ultraviolet band were found near nadir rows, which are expressed as the “asymmetric central peak” and “secondary peak”. The analysis results show that if the influences of the instrument spectral response function “asymmetric central peak” and “secondary peak” in the ultraviolet band are ignored, they will bring an error as large as 5% at the center of the absorption line.

This paper presents the prelaunch radiometric calibration of the Ozone Monitor Suite-Nadir (OMS-N) instrument, a vital payload on the FY-3F satellite. FY-3F achieved a successful launch on 3 August 2023. The radiance calibration of the OMS-N instrument was achieved using an integrating sphere, with known exit radiance ascertained through a transferring radiometer. The calibration model incorporates six energy levels. The Solar Simulator Standard System was employed to validate the calibration results, selecting specific rows to represent varying spatial dimensions. Considering the influence of xenon lamp characteristic peaks and transmission errors during the calibration process, the average deviation remained within 2.3% for the VIS channel, 3% for the UV1 channel, and 2.2% for the UV2 channel. Furthermore, the uncertainty of the radiometric calibration was analyzed. The results indicated an absolute uncertainty of 2.33% for both the UV1 and UV2 channels and 1.69% for the VIS channel. The relative uncertainty was 1.84% for both the UV1 and UV2 channels and 1.45% for the VIS channel. The obtained calibration coefficients are accurate and reliable and can be used for the inversion of product parameters, which is of great significance to the quantitative application of satellite data and the advancement of scientific research on quantitative remote sensing.

The Absorbing Aerosol Sensor (AAS) will be launched aboard the GaoFen-5B satellite in China. The main purpose of AAS is to monitor absorbing aerosols by measuring the solar backscatter radiation. AAS is an ultraviolet-visible imaging spectrometer that uses a single charge coupled device to capture both the spectrum and the cross-track direction with a 114° wide swath. The large field of view enables daily global coverage with 4-km spatial resolution. The spectral range of the instrument extends from 340 to 550 nm with spectral resolution (full width at half maximum) of 2 nm. This paper provides details of the instrument design, including system design, optical design, and mechanical design, as well as detector and calibration unit on orbit. The numerous simulations show that all design results satisfy the specification and vibration requirements of the instrument.

The Absorbing Aerosol Sensor (AAS) is carried on the Gao-Fen 5B (GF-5B) satellite, and it allows for the measurement of solar backscatter radiation by the atmosphere in the UV–Vis bands. The AAS is an imaging spectrometer that employs CCD for capturing both a continuous spectrum and the cross-track orientation with a 114° wide swath. The broad field of view provides daily global envelopment with a 4 km spatial resolution at the nadir. This paper mainly analyzes the initial working status of the instrument in orbit, including wavelength calibration, radiometric calibration, detector performance, and product availability. Preliminary observations indicate the ability of the AAS to monitor absorbing aerosols like dust, biomass burning, volcano ash, and some pollution aerosols and to identify the aerosol events in China and other regions with high spatial resolution.

A tiny and low-cost ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) was designed using a filter behind etalon and Galilean telescope system for the thermospheric wind observation with OI 630.0 nm nightglow emissions (similar to 250 km). Based on the instrument, experiments were carried out at Langfang (39.40 degrees N, 116.65 degrees E) site for a rough comparison and Kelan (38.71 degrees N, 111.58 degrees E) site for a detailed validation. Wind results of Langfang experiment are well consistent with measurements of two other FPIs deployed at Xinglong (40.40 degrees N, 117.59 degrees E) and Kelan which are retrieved by the American National Center for Atmospheric Research (A-NCAR). In Kelan experiment, the averaged wind deviation between our FPI and A-NCAR FPI is 11.8 m/s. The averaged deviation of wind measurement error between them is 2.9 m/s. The comparisons suggest good agreement. Then, the analysis of influencing factors was made. The center determination offset has an exponential relation with wind deviation, while the radius calculation offset is linear with wind deviation.

The Absorbing Aerosol Index (AAI) determines the presence and approximate amount of absorbing aerosol particles. The Absorbing Aerosol Sensor (AAS) equipped on the Gaofen-5B satellite was successfully launched and deployed in orbit on September 7, 2021. Following a period of initial on-orbit testing, reliable AAI observational results were collected. The nadir of the AAS had a design spatial resolution of 4 km × 4 km and a current spatial resolution of 2 km × 4 km, which presented significant benefits in the spatial resolution and clear distribution characteristics of pollutants. The results of AAS were validated by comparing with the observed data of Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) in the Sahara Desert and surrounding areas. In 2022 and 2023, we utilized AAS observations to study the typical pollution processes. These included the spring pollution distribution around the Bohai Sea, the observation and tracking of long-term dust pollution in China in March and April 2023, the distribution of spring pollution in the Indochina Peninsula in April 2023, and the distribution of wildfires in Canada on June 22, 2023. The results were validated and analyzed using data from Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), GOME-2, AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) and Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The results of the observation and evaluation revealed that the AAS AAI can provide reliable information for precise observation of air pollutants at a high resolution.