Design, Development and Calibration of a Miniature High Radiometric Precision Hyperspectral Imager for CubeSat/NanoSat constellations and Small, Low-C
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Surrey
Department Name: Surrey Space Centre Academic
Abstract
Hyperspectral imagers are cameras that can obtain detailed spectral information on each pixel within a scene in as many as hundreds of contiguous, narrow colour bands. Current efforts in hyperspectral imaging aboard CubeSats/nano-satellites are optically compromised due to miniaturisation; the aim of this project is to produce a design for an Earth Observation hyperspectral instrument, capable of being integrated onto the CubeSat platform, while maintaining the performance of a larger, science grade instrument.
A holistic approach will be taken to the problem of compact hyperspectral imagers aboard CubeSats and low cost UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles); all aspects of the design will be considered, from the miniaturisation of the optical design without significant reduction to optical quality, to on-board data handling and required processing chain, to data analysis on the ground and how best to provide required information to end-users.
A potential application of this technology is precision agriculture. Hence, the fidelity of the data collected is of paramount importance and must be quantified. These considerations will be balanced against a number of technical limitations of the CubeSat platform, which must be addressed with the design of the instrument, such as platform instability and low data rates for downloading the data from the CubeSat. For example, data compression must be employed in order to download the large amount of hyperspectral data from the instrument via a constrained downlink rate, without loss of important information. In addition, meticulous pre-flight and vicarious calibration techniques during the mission will be investigated to maintain data fidelity.
A holistic approach will be taken to the problem of compact hyperspectral imagers aboard CubeSats and low cost UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles); all aspects of the design will be considered, from the miniaturisation of the optical design without significant reduction to optical quality, to on-board data handling and required processing chain, to data analysis on the ground and how best to provide required information to end-users.
A potential application of this technology is precision agriculture. Hence, the fidelity of the data collected is of paramount importance and must be quantified. These considerations will be balanced against a number of technical limitations of the CubeSat platform, which must be addressed with the design of the instrument, such as platform instability and low data rates for downloading the data from the CubeSat. For example, data compression must be employed in order to download the large amount of hyperspectral data from the instrument via a constrained downlink rate, without loss of important information. In addition, meticulous pre-flight and vicarious calibration techniques during the mission will be investigated to maintain data fidelity.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Craig Underwood (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Callum Middleton (Student) |
Publications
Middleton, C.
(2019)
CHAFF: CubeSat Hyperspectral Application For Farming (IAA-B12-0205P)
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/P510671/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2021 | |||
| 1947435 | Studentship | EP/P510671/1 | 01/10/2017 | 31/03/2021 | Callum Middleton |
| Description | A holistic design methodology has been implemented on the problem of CubeSat-based hyperspectral imagers, which has led to novel implementations of optical and image processing techniques to mitigate the physical and operational constraints of the CubeSat platform in this context. An optically aided image co-registration technique novel to CubeSats has been proposed and is currently under development. To facilitate this, a proof-of-concept prototype has been constructed, and the required spectral resolution of 3nm at 589 nm has been demonstrated. This represents a factor of 5 improvement in spectral resolution over current CubeSat-based hyperspectral imagers flying in space today. The prototype has also been shown to be commensurate with the financial resources of a typical CubeSat budget, allowing for mass production of the instrument for low-cost CubeSat constellations, or groups of satellites. |
| Exploitation Route | A holistic design for a low-cost CubeSat-based hyperspectral imager has been proposed, which can form the basis for a commercial instrument design and development for a CubeSat mission/constellation. The data from such a spaceborne instrument could facilitate research in a myriad of areas, including precision agriculture, climate change and disaster monitoring. The design methodology in itself could also inform the optical design of future CubeSat instruments. The industrial sponsor (NPL) is interested in exploring the exploitation of these techniques. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |