The MERLIN LIDAR operates at nadir with a wavelength of approximately 1645nm, where methane has a line sextet offering suitable absorption cross sections and lineshape for implementation of a differential absorption scheme (DIAL). A general overview on the MERLIN mission and a detailed description of the overall instrument architecture is given in and respectively.

on a global scale The satellite is being developed and operated by both countries in a joint partnership between the French Space Agency CNES and the German Space Administration DLR. The joint French-German cooperation Methane Remote Sensing LIDAR Mission (MERLIN) employs an Integrated Path Differential Absorption LIDAR (IPDA) to measure the spatial and temporal gradients of atmospheric CH 4 columns. Further details of the instrument development status will be shown by an overview of the current hardware and design status of the major subsystems. This presentation will concentrate on the Architecture and the Design of the MERLIN Payload developed during the ongoing Mission Phase C. Being an active instrument with its own light source, the MERLIN LIDAR Instrument does not have to rely on sun illumination of the observed areas and can therefore continuously operate over the orbit.Īirbus DS GmbH was selected by the German DLR Space Administration as the industrial Prime Contractor for the Mission Phase C/D, to build the MERLIN Payload, which is the first realization of such an instrument for space in Europe. The attenuation is strong at the on-line wavelength the off-line “reference” wavelength is selected to be only marginally affected by Methane absorption. This instrument principle relies on the different absorption of the laser signal by atmospheric Methane at two laser wavelengths – on-line and off-line – both around 1.645 μm, reflected by the Earth surface or by cloud tops. Merlin is a LIDAR Instrument using the IPDA principle.

It is focused on global measurements of the spatial and temporal gradients of atmospheric Methane (CH4) with a precision and accuracy sufficient to constrain Methane fluxes significantly better than with the current observation network. The Methane Remote Sensing LIDAR Mission (MERLIN) is a joint French-German cooperation on the development, launch and operation of a climate monitoring satellite, executed by the French Space Agency CNES and the German DLR Space Administration.

New merlin project m url 2-23-2018