Session
Technical Session IX: Instrumentation and Sensors
Abstract
The ability to detect and track targets against the structured earth and earthlimb backgrounds is a fundamental requirement of many space-based surveillance systems. Knowledge of the background structure is critical for the determination of sensor design characteristics, such as spectral bandpass, sensor field-of-view/footprint, detector sensitivity, and signal processor sizing and algorithm selection. The current background database in the critical SWIR (2.7 µm) and MWIR (4.3 µm) bands is limited. The MSTI-3 mission provides a unique opportunity to collect this needed background data to develop and validate predictive infrared radiance structure codes and to develop an understanding of the statistics of background structure. The primary objective of the measurement modes described in this paper are to provide data to characterize: spatial structure within a waveband, band-to-band spatial correlation, two-dimensional spatial structures, and temporal structures. For below-the-horizon (BTH) and above-the horizon (ATH) geometries and dependence on: solar zenith angle, solar scattering angle, tangent height (ATH), and cloud and surface properties (BTH) will be assessed. The year-long MSTI-3 mission will provide a statistically significant survey of short-wave and mid-wave infrared backgrounds essential to the design of space-based surveillance systems.
MSTI-3 Background Data-Collection Experiments
The ability to detect and track targets against the structured earth and earthlimb backgrounds is a fundamental requirement of many space-based surveillance systems. Knowledge of the background structure is critical for the determination of sensor design characteristics, such as spectral bandpass, sensor field-of-view/footprint, detector sensitivity, and signal processor sizing and algorithm selection. The current background database in the critical SWIR (2.7 µm) and MWIR (4.3 µm) bands is limited. The MSTI-3 mission provides a unique opportunity to collect this needed background data to develop and validate predictive infrared radiance structure codes and to develop an understanding of the statistics of background structure. The primary objective of the measurement modes described in this paper are to provide data to characterize: spatial structure within a waveband, band-to-band spatial correlation, two-dimensional spatial structures, and temporal structures. For below-the-horizon (BTH) and above-the horizon (ATH) geometries and dependence on: solar zenith angle, solar scattering angle, tangent height (ATH), and cloud and surface properties (BTH) will be assessed. The year-long MSTI-3 mission will provide a statistically significant survey of short-wave and mid-wave infrared backgrounds essential to the design of space-based surveillance systems.
