From RainCube to INCUS: using miniaturized microwave instruments to analyze the dynamics of tropical convection

This narrative tells the story of how NASA’s INCUS mission was conceived and designed, to identify and flesh out a scientific investigation that would be conducted using newly developed miniaturized weather radars and radiometers. Different considerations led to the concept of a new observation strategy, consisting of deploying identical replicas of the latest-technology instruments in a tight convoy. The scientific goal is to observe systematically and globally the main thermo-dynamical process in convective storms: the vertical transport of air and moisture from the surface up to the upper troposphere. How the different elements of the concept were fleshed out is recounted with specific attention to the top-level requirements placed on the microwave instruments and to their scientific justification. One of the main “morals” of the story is to highlight the need to pay close attention to the limitations of small satellites (in addition to the capabilities of the instruments) that affect the usefulness of the measurements made by their payloads, and to look for post-processing solutions to mitigate these satellite shortcomings.