Infrared Interferometer Triumph For Thales Alenia Space, CNES & Eumetsat

The French Space Agency (CNES) and Eumetsat organized the IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) conference, held in Anglet, France, from November 13th through November 16th. The main objective of the conference was to offer the results on the instrument performances in flight and to show initial results of assimilation of IASI in Atmospheric and Numerical Weather Prediction models. Directly after the conference, Thales Alenia Space joined the Agencies and the scientists to celebrate the validation of the instrument and the good quality of the first results.





Jointly developed by CNES and EUMETSAT, IASI was build by Thales Alenia Space. IASI is one of 12 instruments to fly on Metop, Europe’s first operational polar orbiting satellite that was launched on October 19th, 2006. IASI is an innovative, highly sophisticated Infrared sounding instrument used for global measurements of atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles with unprecedented accuracy and spectral resolution.




From June 2007, introduction of IASI data in Numerical Weather Prediction Model has allowed significant improvements in Operational Meteorology; moreover, the resulting weather forecast accuracy will further increase in the coming years, in parallel with the expected progress made in IASI data assimilation. The IASI measurements will also provide enhanced support for climate monitoring (temperature and greenhouse gases monitoring) and will contribute to the knowledge of Air Quality and Atmospheric Chemistry through a capability of 3D survey of key trace gases—Cannes, France