The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is a pushbroom sensor that will be a part of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), which is a joint mission between NASA and the USGS. The TIRS instrument will continue to collect the thermal infrared data that are currently being collected by the Thematic Mapper and the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on Landsats 5 and 7, respectively. One of the key requirements of the new sensor is that the dark and background response be stable to ensure proper data continuity from the legacy Landsat instruments. Pre launch testing of the instrument has recently been completed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), which included calibration collects that mimic those that will be performed on orbit. These collects include images of a cold plate meant to simulate the deep space calibration source as viewed by the instrument in flight. The data from these collects give insight into the stability of the instrument’s dark and background response, as well as factors that may cause these responses to vary. This paper quantifies the measured background and dark response of TIRS as well as its stability.
