Welcome to the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Web Site

The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) experiments measure naturally-occurring microwave thermal emission from the limb (edge) of Earth's atmosphere to remotely sense vertical profiles of atmospheric gases, temperature, pressure, and cloud ice.   The overall objective of these experiments is to provide information that will help improve our understanding of Earth's atmosphere and global change.

The first MLS experiment in space (UARS MLS) is on NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) launched 12 September 1991.

The second (EOS MLS) is on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura mission launched 15 July 2004.   Images below show the Aura launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and an artist's rendition of Aura in orbit.   EOS MLS began full-up atmospheric science observations on 12 August 2004, with excellent performance in all portions of the instrument.   Preliminary data processing is underway.

• The EOS Aura mission
• The Microwave Limb Sounder on Aura
• The Microwave Limb Sounder on Aura: Science Objectives

• The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite mission
• UARS MLS data
• Some scientific results from UARS MLS
• The UARS MLS instrument

• MLS scientific publications
• MLS personnel

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This page maintained by Joe Waters (joe@mls.jpl.nasa.gov). Last updated 13 August 2004.