The ISCEA observatory is a small satellite with a mass of under 150kg. SwRI’s ISCEA near-infrared (NIR) spectrograph instrument (ISpec) with parallel imaging and multi-object spectroscopy channels is designed to meet the ISCEA observatory science goal: to determine the history of star formation and its quenching in galaxies as a function of local density and stellar mass when the Universe was 3-5 Gyrs old (1.2<z<2.1). To achieve this, the ISpec instrument requirements are wavelength range 1.1 to 2-micron; a spectral resolving power of < 1000; <300 simultaneous object spectral acquisition; 2.8”× 2.8” “slit” size; emission line flux limit (5-sigma) of 3×10-17 erg/s/cm2; field of view of <= 0.27 deg2; and throughput <= 0.2.
MISTiC Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC’s extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard an ESPAClass (50 kg) micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sun-synchronous sounding constellation that would provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas–at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. Risk reduction investments by NASA ESTO and BAE Systems have supported an airborne demonstration of this hyperspectral observing method from a NASA ER2, as well as laboratory testing of the spectrometer. The purpose of these airborne tests is to examine the potential for improved capabilities for tracking atmospheric motion-vector wind tracer features, and determining their height using hyper-spectral sounding and imaging methods. Some of the hyperspectral observations from flights in December 2017 will be described, together with satellite and radiosonde observations similar in time and location. Critical laboratory test results will also be described.
MISTiC Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC’s extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a 27U-class CubeSat or an ESPA-Class micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sunsynchronous sounding constellation that would collectively provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA’s AIRS that was built by BAE Systems and operates aboard the AQUA satellite. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas–at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. Key remaining technical risks are being reduced through laboratory and airborne testing under NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program.
MISTiCTM Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC’s extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a 27U-class CubeSat or an ESPA-Class micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sunsynchronous sounding constellation that would collectively provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA’s AIRS that was built by BAE Systems and operates aboard the AQUA satellite. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas–at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. Key remaining technical risks are being reduced through laboratory and airborne testing under NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program.
The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) is one of three science instruments that will fly aboard the Space Infrared Telescope Facility mission scheduled for launch in December, 2001. This paper summarizes the `as built' design of IRAC along with important integration and testing results.
Conference Committee Involvement (9)
Optomechanical Engineering 2025
3 August 2025 | San Diego, California, United States
Optomechanical Engineering 2023
23 August 2023 | San Diego, California, United States
Optomechanics and Optical Alignment
1 August 2021 | San Diego, California, United States
Optomechanical Engineering 2019
14 August 2019 | San Diego, California, United States
Optomechanical Engineering 2017
9 August 2017 | San Diego, California, United States
Optomechanical Engineering 2015
11 August 2015 | San Diego, California, United States
Optomechanical Engineering 2013
27 August 2013 | San Diego, California, United States
Optomechanics 2011: Innovations and Solutions
23 August 2011 | San Diego, California, United States
Advances in Optomechanics
4 August 2009 | San Diego, California, United States
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