Optimal satellite orbit configuration for global ocean color product coverage.

We develop a methodology to evaluate the current orbital configuration of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) and NOAA-20 satellites and to study various orbital configurations for the next VIIRS in the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) series from the perspective of maximizing the global daily ocean color retrievals. We focus on the coverage losses due to high sensor-zenith angle and high sun glint contamination and find that two sensors cannot avoid gaps in daily coverage. If JPSS-2 shares the same orbit with SNPP and NOAA-20, then phase shift of around 90° relative to SNPP and NOAA-20 would maximize daily ocean color retrievals.