Rajendra Bhatt
Deputy Project Scientist, CLARREO Pathfinder Mission, Science Directorate, NASA Langley Research Center
Dr. Rajendra Bhatt serves as the Deputy Project Scientist for the CLARREO Pathfinder mission, leading the CLARREO Pathfinder Intercalibration Team in developing, testing, and implementing advanced sensor intercalibration algorithms for the CERES and VIIRS instruments. Before joining the CLARREO Pathfinder Mission, Dr. Bhatt worked on the CERES project for 12 years, where he focused on developing techniques for in-flight calibration of geostationary and low Earth-orbiting satellite imagers. His work assessed radiometric performance of more than three dozen satellite imagers on orbit and ensured the usability of their data for Earth system studies. He is an expert in characterizing and modeling bidirectional reflectance over invariant Earth targets, including deserts, polar ice caps, and tropical deep convective clouds. He has applied these models to achieve radiometric harmonization among sensors such as MODIS, VIIRS, AVHRR, and various geostationary platforms, enabling the creation of consistent satellite retrieval datasets. Dr. Bhatt has also led numerous collaborative efforts with researchers from domestic organizations, including NASA GSFC, USGS, and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, as well as international organizations through the WMO-sponsored Global Space-based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS). These collaborations have promoted the consistent implementation of intercalibration algorithms across agencies and the sharing of best practices.
Publication Bibliography:
Select Publications:
- Quantifying the Impact of Solar Spectra on the Inter-Calibration of Satellite Instruments
- Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System strategy for intercalibrating the new-generation geostationary visible imagers
- Design and validation of a high-efficiency planar solar thermophotovoltaic system using a spectrally selective emitter
- Consideration of Radiometric Quantization Error in Satellite Sensor Cross-Calibration
- Response Versus Scan-Angle Assessment of MODIS Reflective Solar Bands in Collection 6.1 Calibration
- Development of Seasonal BRDF Models to Extend the Use of Deep Convective Clouds as Invariant Targets for Satellite SWIR-Band Calibration
Education:
- PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
- MS in Electrical Engineering from the South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
- BE in Electronics Engineering from Tribhuvan University, Nepal