Organisation

Validation Strategy

The strategy of validation has two aspects: the methodology and the timing.
Data for validation shall be preferably obtained from different sources, i.e. in situ measurements from balloons or aircraft, ground-based measurements from remote sensing and in-situ systems and measurements from other satellite instruments, and by applying different measurement techniques.

The time schedule of validation can be roughly split up in four phases:

1. The Rehearsal Phase:
   Testing of all procedures. (starting 3 months before launch, lasting 6 month)
2. The Commissioning Phase:
   after instrument calibration has taken place, validation measurements are required to make sure that the results retrieved from OMI measurements are believable, and more or less correct. (starting 3 months after launch, lasting 6 months)
3. The Core Phase:
   normally lasting about a year, during which every single product is validated to the level of accuracy, precision, and coverage stated in the science requirements. (starting 3 months after launch, lasting 12 month)
4. Long-term Phase:
   lasting throughout the mission, to assure that the retrieved products are still valid to the stated accuracies, independent of changes in the instrument and/or the spacecraft. (starting 15 months after launch)