Imagery acquired with a quantum-well infrared photodetector dual-band infrared focal plane array of the inaugural launch of the Atlas 5 launch vehicle is presented. The focal plane array was developed under the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Advanced Sensors Federated Laboratory program and used a read-out integrated circuit produced under the Air Force Research Laboratory's Advanced Multi-Quantum Well Technology program. The detectors are able to sense light in both the 3-5- and 8-12-micron atmospheric transmission windows such that the resulting single-band images are pixel registered and simultaneous. The focal plane array was installed in a camera system that used a closed-cycle cooler to operate at 60 K. The camera was placed at the prime focus of an all-reflective telescope on a computer-controlled tracking mount at the Innovative Sensor Technology Evaluation Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch was observed from a distance of 15 km from the pad. The dual- band camera system was calibrated using standard blackbody sources. The launch vehicle was observed from about 30 s after launch until approximately 4 min after launch. This corresponded to ranges between 15 km and more than 300 km and altitudes from just over 1 km to more than 100 km. Several interesting differences in the structure of the plume were observed. In addition, the hardbody of the rocket was seen in the 8-12-micron imagery but was undetectable in the 3-5-micron imagery. The imagery was unsaturated in both bands allowing us to obtain good measurements of the radiance of the plume in both the principal infrared bands.
Dual-band infrared imagery of an Atlas 5 launch vehicle in flight
Detektion einer Atlas 5-Rakete mit einem Zwei-Spektren-Infrarotbildgebungsverfahren
AIAA Journal ; 43 , 1 ; 174-183
2005
10 Seiten, 17 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 3 Quellen
Article (Journal)
English
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