Earth Radiation Budget Satellite

The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) waqs designed to examine the thermal equilibrium between the sun, the earth, and space. The major space-based component of the experiment is the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) which was launched from Shuttle (Mission 41-G) on October 5, 1984. The ERBS is a three-axis momentum-biased spacecraft containing its own subsystems for attitude control, power generation, thermal control, and data handling. The satellite transmits data via the NASA Spacecraft Tracking and Data Network (STDN) and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The ERBS instrument package includes eight channels in two sensor packages: a nonscanning radiometer and a scanning radiometer. The combined spectral range of the two instruments is 0.2-5.0 microns and the scale of the radiometer measurements can be changed to collect regional, zonal, or global data. A series of schematic diagrams of the ERBS spacecraft and its instrument package is provided.