Absorbing Aerosol Sensor on Gao-Fen 5B satellite

The Absorbing Aerosol Sensor (AAS) will be launched aboard the GaoFen-5B satellite in China. The main purpose of AAS is to monitor absorbing aerosols by measuring the solar backscatter radiation. AAS is an ultraviolet-visible imaging spectrometer that uses a single charge coupled device to capture both the spectrum and the cross-track direction with a 114° wide swath. The large field of view enables daily global coverage with 4-km spatial resolution. The spectral range of the instrument extends from 340 to 550 nm with spectral resolution (full width at half maximum) of 2 nm. This paper provides details of the instrument design, including system design, optical design, and mechanical design, as well as detector and calibration unit on orbit. The numerous simulations show that all design results satisfy the specification and vibration requirements of the instrument.