# SSMIS
*sensor . products*

SSMIS is a conical-scanning passive microwave imager/sounder used on DMSP satellites.

## Specifications
- **manufacturer**: northrop-grumman
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"radiometer","measurement_principle":"passive","frequency_bands_ghz":[19.35,22.235,37,91.655,150,183.311],"scan_type":"conical","swath_km":1707}
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-11
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: northrop-grumman
- **mass kg**: 96
- **avg power w**: 135
- **data rate mbps**: 0.0142
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","manufacturer":"northrop-grumman","description":"SSMIS is a conical-scanning passive microwave imager/sounder used on DMSP satellites.","deployment_context":"orbital","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"radiometer\",\"measurement_principle\":\"passive\",\"frequency_bands_ghz\":[19.35,22.235,37,91.655,150,183.311],\"scan_type\":\"conical\",\"swath_km\":1707}"}
- **technology**: microwave-radiometry

## Editorial
SSMIS (Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder) is a conical-scanning passive microwave instrument that combines imaging and atmospheric sounding in a single unit, operated by the US Air Force on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites.[^wmo-oscar-ssmis][^nasa-earthdata-ssmis] The instrument carries 24 channels spanning 19.35 GHz to 183.311 GHz, covering surface emission windows at 19.35, 22.235, and 37 GHz, an imaging channel at 91.655 GHz, a water-vapour window at 150 GHz, and water-vapour absorption channels near 183.311 GHz.[^wmo-oscar-ssmis] Swath width is 1707 km and fields of view vary by channel from approximately 13x14 km to 42x70 km.[^wmo-oscar-ssmis] Instrument mass is 96 kg and average power consumption is 135 W.[^wmo-oscar-ssmis]

SSMIS was built by Northrop Grumman and first flew on DMSP-F16, launched in October 2003.[^csu-ssmis-description] Subsequent units flew on DMSP-F17 (2006), DMSP-F18 (2009), and DMSP-F19 (2014).[^wmo-oscar-ssmis] DMSP-F17 experienced noise degradation in its temperature-sounding channels from October 2017 onward.[^wmo-oscar-ssmis] Unlike the cross-track sounders that preceded it on DMSP (SSM/T), SSMIS uses conical scanning to maintain a consistent incidence angle across the swath.[^nasa-earthdata-ssmis]

## Compositional position
- dmsp-f17 (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> SSMIS

## Sources
- [wmo-oscar-ssmis] | WMO OSCAR - SSMIS instrument record | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/ssmis | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-11
- [nasa-earthdata-ssmis] | SSMIS instrument overview, NASA Earthdata | https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/instruments/ssmis | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-11
- [wiki-ssmis] | SSMIS Wikipedia article (channel table) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSMIS | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-11
- [csu-ssmis-description] | SSMIS instrument description, Colorado State University | https://rain.atmos.colostate.edu/RAINMAP04/ssmis_description.html | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-11

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/ssmis
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)