The Microwave Sounder

MWS optical system under test at Cardiff

The Microwave Sounder (MWS) is a radiometer instrument which will fly on the next generation of European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) weather satellites.

It is designed to measure atmospheric temperature and water vapour profiles to support numerical weather prediction.

In collaboration with Airbus and Thomas Keating Ltd, The Astronomy Instrumentation Group is building the optics and frequency-dividing components for MWS, operating between 23 and 300 GHz. The first satellite is scheduled for launch in 2021.