The traditional model for space-based earth observations involves long mission times, high cost, and long development time. Because of the significant time and monetary investment required, riskier instrument development missions or those with very specific scientific goals are unlikely to successfully obtain funding. However, a niche for earth observations exploiting new technologies in focused, short lifetime missions is opening with the growth of the small satellite market and launch opportunities for these satellites. These low-cost, short-lived missions 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 the 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 the 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.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    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)

    Conference:

    Sensors and Systems for Space Applications IV ; 2011 ; Orlando,Florida,United States


    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2011-05-10





    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 | 2012


    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