This dataset includes satellite-based observations of geolocated surface wind vectors, precipitable water vapor, and integrated cloud liquid water, as well as the microwave brightness temperatures used to derive them. Theses measurements make up the environmental data record (EDR) from the COWVR (Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer) sensor aboard the international space station (ISS), beginning in January 2022 with forward-streaming to PO.DAAC. Data over the satellite swath are available in HDF5 format with roughly one file per hour (the ISS orbit period is ~90 minutes), and coverage shown in the thumbnail is for a full day. Spatial resolution is roughly 35 km. The file metadata formats may be different than what an average user is familiar with – please see the User Guide to learn more. Version 10.0 is the first public release, and is named as such to be consistent with the internal version numbering of the project team prior to release.
The COWVR sensor is a fully polarimetric, conically imaging microwave radiometer for measuring ocean surface wind vectors. It operates nominally on-orbit aboard the ISS and data are non-sun-synchronous. It was deployed as part of the Space Test Program - Houston 8 (STP-H8) technology demonstration mission. A successful COWVR mission will demonstrate a lower-cost sensor architecture (e.g. in comparison to WindSat) for providing imaging passive microwave data, including ocean surface vector wind products for the Department of Defense (DoD). COWVR was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and flown by the United States Space Force, Space Systems Command, Development Corps for Innovation and Prototyping.