Session
Session 3: Advanced Technologies I
Abstract
Well calibrated satellite images are not just images, but scientific data that can be used for many applications such as predicting crop growth, assessing hazard damage. Reliable radiometric calibration is crucial for expanding small satellite data use, and radiometric calibration with the Moon (called lunar calibration) is a reasonable candidate for small satellites because it does not need any special instruments other than optical sensors, and the calibration can be repeated by only conducting lunar observations in which we can treat the Moon as a well-known brightness target in space. In this study, we report a lunar calibration result for Hodoyoshi-1, which is a Japanese small satellite that has conducted lunar observations almost every month for approximately 1 year since August 2016. By comparing the observed brightness with the brightness of a simulated Moon, we successfully identified even small sensitivity variations (less than 1 %) in Hodoyoshi-1’s sensors from a reference date during the observation period. Due to the advantages of lunar calibration, it is a reasonable candidate for a common radiometric calibration method for a huge number of small satellites.
One-year Lunar Calibration Result of Hodoyoshi-1, Moon as an Ideal Target for Small Satellite Radiometric Calibration
Well calibrated satellite images are not just images, but scientific data that can be used for many applications such as predicting crop growth, assessing hazard damage. Reliable radiometric calibration is crucial for expanding small satellite data use, and radiometric calibration with the Moon (called lunar calibration) is a reasonable candidate for small satellites because it does not need any special instruments other than optical sensors, and the calibration can be repeated by only conducting lunar observations in which we can treat the Moon as a well-known brightness target in space. In this study, we report a lunar calibration result for Hodoyoshi-1, which is a Japanese small satellite that has conducted lunar observations almost every month for approximately 1 year since August 2016. By comparing the observed brightness with the brightness of a simulated Moon, we successfully identified even small sensitivity variations (less than 1 %) in Hodoyoshi-1’s sensors from a reference date during the observation period. Due to the advantages of lunar calibration, it is a reasonable candidate for a common radiometric calibration method for a huge number of small satellites.
