Stratospheric Aerosol Measurements from a Compact Instrument on a Hosted Payload

Atmospheric aerosols represent an important component of the energy budget for the Earth’s climate system because they can contribute both positive and negative forcing. We are developing the Aerosol Radiometer for Global Observations of the Stratosphere (ARGOS) instrument to provide improved measurements of stratospheric aerosols in a compact package. ARGOS makes limb scattering measurements from space in eight directions simultaneously, using two near-IR wavelengths for each viewing direction. The combination of forward and backward scattering views along the orbit track gives additional information to constrain the aerosol phase function and size distribution. Cross-track views provide expanded spatial coverage. ARGOS will have a demonstration flight through a hosted payload provider in Spring 2024. This approach offers advantages in size, weight, and power margins compared to a Cubesat approach, with significant benefits in terms of infrastructure requirements for the instrument team.