ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use estec European Space Research and Technology Centre Keplerlaan 1 2201 AZ Noordwijk The Netherlands T +31 (0)71 565 6565 F +31 (0)71 565 6040 www.esa.int Sentinel-6/Jason-CS Cal/Val Concept (CVC) Prepared by Mission Performance Working Group Reference JC-PL-ESA-MI-0500 Issue Issue 2 Revision 1 Date of Issue 18/07/2019 Status Issued Document Type Report Distribution Sentinel 6 Project(s) ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use 09/02/2019 22/07/2019 Scharroo 18/7/2019 15/8/2019 22/7/2019 22/7/2019 ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Reason for change Issue Revision Date Update following MAG, CDR and MPWG review 2 1 18/7/2019 Issue Issue 2 Revision 1 Reason for change Date Pages Paragraph(s) Update following MAG, CDR and MPWG review N/A All 6 Update of Scope 18/7/2019 Update of [RD 44] 8/7/2019 10 Spell check and cosmetic update 18/7/2019 All Author and approval name changes 18/7/2019 2 ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Page 3/59 Sentinel-6/Jason-CS Cal/Val Plan Date 18/07/2019 Issue Issue 2 Rev 1 ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Table of contents: 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 6 2 Documents .......................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Applicable & Reference Documents ................................................................................................... 10 2.1.1 Applicable Documents ......................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.2 Reference Documents .......................................................................................................................................... 10 3 Mission Overview ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.1 Mission Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Mission Description ................................................................................................................................. 16 3.2.1 Spacecraft .................................................................................................................................................................. 18 3.2.2 Payload ....................................................................................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Product level Definition ......................................................................................................................... 21 3.4 Data Product Latency .............................................................................................................................. 21 3.4.1 Calibration Products ............................................................................................................................................ 22 3.4.2 Supplementary Products/Reports ................................................................................................................. 23 4 Cal/Val Objectives and Planning ................................................................................................. 24 4.1 Cal/Val Objectives and Requirements ............................................................................................... 24 4.2 Cal/Val Organisation and Responsibilities ...................................................................................... 25 4.2.1 Cal/Val Implementation Plan (CVIP) ............................................................................................................ 25 4.2.2 ReportinG and ArcHival Plans ........................................................................................................................... 26 4.2.3 MeetinG Plan ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 4.3 Post-Launch Verification and Validation Phases ........................................................................... 28 4.3.1 Sentinel-6A Phasing versus Jason-3 .............................................................................................................. 30 4.3.2 Sentinel-6A Phasing versus Sentinel-6B ..................................................................................................... 30 4.3.3 Operational PHase ................................................................................................................................................. 30 5 Sentinel-6/Jason-CS Performance Assessment ...................................................................... 31 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 31 5.2 Performance Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 31 5.2.2 Individual Measurement Accuracy ................................................................................................................ 32 5.2.3 RanGe Noise .............................................................................................................................................................. 32 5.2.4 Sea-Surface HeiGHt ................................................................................................................................................ 33 5.2.5 Bias and drift ........................................................................................................................................................... 35 5.2.6 Level 2 Wind/Wave Estimates ......................................................................................................................... 37 6 Payload and Product Cal/Val Implementation ....................................................................... 38 6.1 Internal Sensor Calibration ................................................................................................................... 38 6.1.1 Poseidon-4 ................................................................................................................................................................ 38 ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Page 4/59 Sentinel-6/Jason-CS Cal/Val Plan Date 18/07/2019 Issue Issue 2 Rev 1 ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Advanced Microwave Radiometer-C ............................................................................................................................ 42 6.1.2 DORIS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 43 6.1.3 Laser Retroreflector Array ................................................................................................................................ 44 6.1.4 GNSS POD receiver (GPS and Galileo) ........................................................................................................... 44 6.2 Precise Orbit Determination Verification ........................................................................................ 44 6.3 Global Altimeter Data Analysis ............................................................................................................ 44 6.3.1 Sentinel-6 Global Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 44 6.3.2 Cross Calibration with other missions ......................................................................................................... 46 6.4 In-Situ Techniques for Evaluating the Overall Measurement System .................................... 47 6.4.1 Dedicated calibration sites ................................................................................................................................ 47 6.4.2 Ku-Band Passive and Active Transponders ............................................................................................... 47 6.4.3 Distributed Tide-GauGe Comparison ............................................................................................................ 48 6.4.4 ArGo network and GRACE and GRACE Follow-On ................................................................................... 48 6.5 Altimeter Correction Terms: External Verification ...................................................................... 49 6.5.1 Water Vapour Delay ............................................................................................................................................. 49 6.5.2 IonospHere Delay ..................................................................................................................................................