TSIS -1
Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor 1
Enhancing the legacy of solar radiation measurements
The Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1), is a heliophysics mission consisting of two instruments (the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM) and the Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), currently operating on the International Space Station. The overall goal of TSIS is the accurate measurement of total and spectral solar irradiance for better understanding of solar forcing variations and their impacts on the Earth climate system. The TSIS observations are the follow on to 17 years of observations from the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) mission and 4 years from the Total Solar Irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE) mission. TSIS-1 continues the important data record of total and spectral irradiance from 2003 through present day, albeit with higher accuracy, increased precision, and improved stability.
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Launch Date: Delivery to ISS on December 15, 2017; Instruments powered on in March 2018
Prime Mission: 5 years
Lead Institution: LASP
Lead Funding Agency: NASA
Partners: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, SpaceX
The scientific objectives of TSIS-1 are:
- Measure 4x daily total solar irradiance (TSI) with an absolute accuracy of 100 ppm and a relative accuracy of 10 ppm and to provide calibrated overlap with SORCE TIM, TCTE, and with future missions.
- Measure 2x daily spectral solar irradiance (SSI) at variable resolution from 200-2400 nm with an absolute accuracy of 0.2% (2000 ppm), a relative accuracy of 0.01% (100 ppm), and with long-term relative stability of 0.05% per year (for wavelengths shortward of 400 nm) and 0.01% per year for wavelengths longward of 400 nm.
- Validate and understand the reasons for the observed irradiance data in terms of solar variability, and assess how the variable irradiance affects our atmosphere and climate. Use this knowledge to improve estimates of past and future solar behavior and climate response.
LASP’s TSIS Science Operations Center (TSOC) provides commanding and downlink for both the TIM and SIM instruments on TSIS-1.
TSIS Science Data System (TSDS) at LASP is responsible for TSIS-1 science data management, processing, validation, and distribution. The TSDS ensures that data are processed and released to the public.
TSIS-1 Data can be downloaded from:
https://lasp.colorado.edu/tsis/data/
Or from the LISIRD website:
https://lasp.colorado.edu/lisird/