The earth radiation budget satellite system of the early 1980's

The overall program objective of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite System is to gather the required radiation budget data and apply these data for a better understanding and prediction of climate. The paper describes the planned system, including the instruments and the associated sampling strategies and data analysis methods. Examination of mission implications reveals the need for a multisensor, multisatellite system consisting of high- and mid-inclination orbits. Each spacecraft will carry wide and medium field-of-view sensors, a sensor for measuring the solar constant, and a narrow field-of-view cross-track scanner.