MightySat II.1 hyperspectral imager: summary of on-orbit performance

Abstract

The primary payload on a small-satellite, the Air Force Research Laboratory's MightySat II.1, is a spatially modulated Fourier Transform Hyperspectral Imager (FTHSI) designed for terrain classification. The heart of this instrument is a solid block Sagnac interferometer with 85cm<SUP>-1</SUP> spectral resolution over the 475nm to 1050nm bands and 30m spatial resolution. Coupled with this hyperspectral imager is a Quad-C40 card, used for on-orbit processing. The satellite was launched on 19 July 2000 into a 575km, 97.8 degree inclination, sun-synchronous orbit. The hyperspectral imager collected its first data set on 1 August 2000, and has been in continuous operation since that time. To the best of our knowledge, the MightySat II.1 sensor is the first true hyperspectral imager to be successfully operated in space. The paper will describe the satellite and instrument, pre-launch calibration results, on-orbit performance, and the calibration process used to characterize the sensor. We will also present data on the projected lifetime of the sensor along with samples of the types of data being collected.