The growth of the small satellite market and launch opportunities for these satellites is creating a new niche for earth observations that contrasts with the long mission durations, high costs, and long development times associated with traditional space-based earth observations. Low-cost, short-lived missions made possible by this new approach provide an experimental platform for testing new sensor technologies that may transition to larger, more long-lived platforms. The low costs and short lifetimes also increase acceptable risk to sensors, enabling large decreases in cost using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts and allowing early-career scientists and engineers to gain experience with these projects. We are building a low-cost long-wave infrared spectral sensor, funded by the NASA Experimental Project to Stimulate Competitive Research program (EPSCoR), to demonstrate ways in which a university's scientific and instrument development programs can fit into this niche. The sensor is a low-mass, power-efficient thermal hyperspectral imager with electronics contained in a pressure vessel to enable use of COTS electronics and will be compatible with small satellite platforms. The sensor, called Thermal Hyperspectral Imager (THI), is based on a Sagnac interferometer and uses an uncooled 320x256 microbolometer array. The sensor will collect calibrated radiance data at long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-14 microns) wavelengths in 230 meter pixels with 20 wavenumber spectral resolution from a 400 km orbit. We are currently in the laboratory and airborne testing stage in order to demonstrate the spectro-radiometric quality of data that the instrument provides.


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    Title :

    A low cost thermal infrared hyperspectral imager for small satellites


    Contributors:
    Crites, S. T. (author) / Lucey, P. G. (author) / Wright, R. (author) / Garbeil, H. (author) / Horton, K. A. (author) / Wood, M. (author)

    Conference:

    Sensors and Systems for Space Applications V ; 2012 ; Baltimore,Maryland,United States


    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2012-05-07





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    A low cost thermal infrared hyperspectral imager for small satellites

    Crites, S. T. / Lucey, P. G. / Wright, R. et al. | SPIE | 2011


    A low cost thermal infrared hyperspectral imager for small satellites [8385-07]

    Crites, S.T. / Lucey, P.G. / Wright, R. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2012


    A low cost thermal infrared hyperspectral imager for small satellites (Invited Paper) [8044-24]

    Crites, S.T. / Lucey, P.G. / Wright, R. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2011


    SUCHI: The Space Ultra-Compact Hyperspectral Imager for small satellites

    Crites, S. T. / Lucey, P. G. / Wright, R. et al. | SPIE | 2013


    SUCHI: The Space Ultra-Compact Hyperspectral Imager for small satellites [8739-1]

    Crites, S.T. / Lucey, P.G. / Wright, R. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2013