In order to thoroughly understand the new characteristics of satellite infrared atmospheric sounding instruments,impel the application of satellite data,and provide scientific references for developing Chinese high-spectrum infrared atmospheric sounding instruments,taking the high spectrum sounding instrument AIRS(Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) as an example,which is loaded in the American NASA Aqua satellite,an introduction is made on the satellite infrared atmospheric sounding researches,development background,instrument characteristics,development technology,data product processing and the application.The results indicate that AIRS inaugurate a new era.AIRS provides not only the necessary information for other high spectrum instruments that will be loaded in the satellites to be launched,but also important references for the high-spectrum infrared vertical atmospheric sounding instruments that will be loaded in Chinese FY satellites.