HYPERNOR project: high-resolution hyperspectral camera for microsatellites.

Abstract

Hyperspectral cameras are capable of obtaining highly useful data for geology, agriculture, urban planning, and many other applications. Several satellite-based hyperspectral cameras are currently operational, providing hyperspectral data to various users. Even large instruments usually have relatively large ground sampling distance (GSD): 10m or larger in 400 to 1000nm range and 30m or larger in 900 to 2500nm range. GSD is even coarser in hyperspectral cameras for microsatellites. Based on the information from PRISMA 2021 Workshop and our customer’s feedback, the most requested feature for satellite-based hyperspectral cameras is significantly improved GSD. Also, there is a strong demand for smaller microsatellite-compatible hyperspectral cameras. Due to lower mission cost, such cameras can provide hyperspectral data to more users. Additionally, microsatellite constellations could provide swath and revisit time that would be impossible for a single large satellite. Creating a hyperspectral camera with acceptable Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and small GSD, that would be still compatible with a small platform, is a big challenge. Our approach has been to create a hyperspectral camera that would surpass the current limitations of small satellite platforms, and would provide data that, for some specifications, exceed what is available for free from large instruments. Our focus has been on providing significantly improved GSD, small spatial and spectral misregistration, while keeping acceptable spectral sampling and SNR. The instrument development has been funded by the Norwegian Space Agency. One of the proposed instruments has been selected by the Norwegian Space Agency as the primary payload on an upcoming Norwegian In-Orbit Demonstrator satellite.