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MetOp Second Generation (SG) satellites will give continuity to MetOp-A, -B and -C satellites launched in 2006, 2012 and 2016 respectively. MetOp-SG consists of two series of satellites (Satellite A and B) with three satellites in each series. SENER Aeroespacial has developed Back-End (BE) modules for different heterodyne receivers included in the three passive radiometric instruments of Metop SG: MicroWave Sounder (MWS), MicroWave Imager (MWI) and Ice Cloud Imager (ICI). Back-End receivers are located after Front-End receivers [1][2] as part of the Total Power Radiometers in Metop SG (see Fig. 1). The main function of Back-End Receivers is to provide an analog signalwith a voltage level proportional to the input power spectral density (brightness temperature of the scene under observation) at IF. IF signal comes from the down-converter at Front-End output. The key requirements for these receivers are linearity, flatness of the frequency response, Short-Term Gain Stability (STGS), RMS noise added by the video section, low power and low mass. Back-End receivers include RF amplifiers, high rejection channel filters to separate radiometric channels and power detectors to detect the in-band power. Test couplers are included before every detector input. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of the hardware designed, built and tested by SENER Aeroespacial, Postprint (published version)

ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission was launched 2 Nov 2009 and it is still providing L-band measurements after more than 12 years in orbit. The main mission products were global maps of soil moisture and sea surface salinity at an average resolution of 40 km, although SMOS also delivers measurements of thin sea ice, frost/thaw soils, high winds, ocean surface wind and Sun brightness temperature. To better match the needs of the L-band scientific community, regarding spatial resolution, multi-angular capability and sensitivity, ESA is carrying out several instrument pre-development activities (see [5]) where the technology that would be required to achieve that goal gets consolidated. In the frame of these ESA developments, SENER Aeroespacial has developed two advanced L-band receivers (ALR) with parallel dual polarisation, high sensitivity, high out-of-band interference rejection and digital in-phase quadrature demodulation. This paper describes the technological concepts applied to the receiver as well as the demonstrator test results and achieved performance., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)