The Aqua instrument data sets include: atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, clouds, precipitation and radiative balance; terrestrial snow and sea ice; sea surface temperature and ocean productivity; soil moisture; and the improvement of numerical weather prediction.

The Aqua science instruments uses a TRW modular, standardized AB 1200 common spacecraft bus. The spacecraft is built of lightweight composite materials to allow for increased payload weight and reduce launch costs. The Earth-facing side of the spacecraft is devoted solely to the Aqua instruments, maximizing fields-of-view. All instruments are attached to the craft via simple mounting devices.

Instruments

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)

The AIRS is a high resolution instrument which measures upwelling infrared (IR) radiances at 2378 frequencies ranging from 3.74 and 15.4 micrometers. A limited number of visible wavelength channels are also present. AIRS was developed by Lockheed Martin Infrared Instrument Systems under a contract from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). AIRS, in conjunction with AMSU and HSB, will provide significant improvements in the accuracy of several climate and weather parameters. 

Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU)

The AMSU is a passive scanning microwave radiometer consisting of two sensor units, A1 and A2, with a total of 15 discrete channels operating over the frequency range of 50 to 89 GHZ. The AMSU operates in conjunction with the AIRS and HSB instruments to provide atmospheric temperature and water vapor data both in cloudy and cloud-free areas. AMSU is being developed by Aerojet under a contract from NASA GSFC. 

Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E)

The AMSR-E is a passive forward-looking scanning microwave radiometer with 6 discrete frequencies in the range of 6.9 to 89 GHZ. AMSR-E is being developed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation under a contract from National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). The AMSR-E data will be used to provide precipitation rate, water vapor content, and surface moisture content. 

Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES)

The CERES instrument is a broadband scanning radiometer, with three detector channels, 0.3 to 5.0 micrometers, 8.0 to 12.0 micrometers and 0.3 to 50 micrometers. Two CERES instruments are in the Aqua payload suite. One instrument operates in the crosstrack mode for complete spatial coverage from limb to limb; the other with a rotating scan plane (biaxial) mode to provide angular sampling. Both instruments are capable of operating in either mode. CERES is being developed by TRW under a contract from NASA LaRC. .

Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB)

The HSB is a passive scanning microwave radiometer with a total of 5 discrete channels operating in the range of 150 to 183 GHZ. The HSB data are used in conjunction with the AIRS data to provide humidity profile corrections in the presence of clouds. HSB is being developed by Matra Marconi Space under a contract from Instituto Nacional de Perquisas Espacias (INPE), Brazil. 

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

The MODIS instrument is a passive imaging spectroradiometer. The instrument scans a cross-track swath of 2330 km using 36 discrete spectral bands between 0.41 and 14.2 micrometers. The MODIS will provide imagery of the Earth's surface and cloud cover to develop an improved understanding of global dynamics and processes occurring on the surface and in the lower atmosphere. MODIS is being developed by Raytheon/Santa Barbara Remote Sensing under a contract from NASA GSFC. 

Size:
Stowed     2.68 m x 2.49 m x 6.49 m (8.8 ft x 8.2 ft x 21.3 ft)
Deployed  4.81 m x 16.70 m x 8.04 m (15.8 ft x 54.8 ft x 26.4 ft)

Mass:
At Launch    2,934 kg (6,468 lbm)
Spacecraft   1,750 kg (3,858 lbm)
Instruments  1,082 kg (2,385 lbm)
Propellant      102 kg (225 lbm)

Power:   4.860 kW end of life

Telemetry: S-band (TDRSS and Deep Space Network/ Ground Network compatible)

Data Links:  X-band

Propulsion: 
Hydrazine blow-down system
4 pairs of 1 space lbf thrusters