This paper describes some potential improvements that could be eventually implemented for future MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer by Aperture Synthesis) payloads of the follow-on missions of the ESA's SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission. A ground-based instrument concept demonstrator has been designed and it is being implemented to validate these improvements. Both MIRAS and the (Synthetic Aperture Passive Advanced Unit, SA-PAU) are Y shaped arrays, but the receiver topology and the processing unit are significantly different. This paper identifies the elements in the MIRAS's design that could be improved and presents a new instrument (Synthetic Aperture PAU) that could be used to test some potential improvements for future SMOSops (SMOS operational system).
['Isaac Ramos-Pérez', 'Adriano Camps', 'Xavier Bosch-Lluis', 'Juan Fernando Marchan-Hernandez', 'Nereida Rodriguez-Alvarez', 'Enric Valencia', 'Fabio Frascella', 'Paolo Campigotto', 'Marco Donadio']
Synthetic Aperture PAU: a new instrument to test potential improvements for future SMOSops