Optical Design of A Compact Imaging Spectrometer for STSAT3

Abstract

A compact imaging spectrometer (COMIS) for use in the STSAT3 microsatellite is currently under development. It is scheduled to be launched into a low Sun-synchronous Earth orbit ( ${\sim}700km$ ) by the end of 2010. COMIS was inspired by the success of CHRIS, which is a small hyperspectral imager developed for the ESA microsatellite PROBA. COMIS is designed to achieve nearly equivalent imaging capabilities of CHRIS in a smaller (65 mm diameter and 4.3 kg mass) and mechanically superior (in terms of alignment and robustness) package. Its main operational goal will be the imaging of Earth's surface and atmosphere with ground sampling distances of ${\sim}30m$ at the $18{\sim}62$ spectral bands ( $4.0{\sim}1.05{\mu}m$ ). This imaging will be used for environmental monitoring, such as the in-land water quality monitoring of Paldang Lake, which is located next to Seoul, South Korea. The optics of COMIS consists of two parts: imaging telescope and dispersing relay optics. The imaging telescope, which operates at an f-ratio of 4.6, forms an image (of Earth's surface or atmosphere) onto an intermediate image plane. The dispersion relay optics disperses the image and relay it onto a CCD plane. All COMIS lenses and mirrors are spherical and are made from used silica exclusively. In addition, the optics is designed such that the optical axis of the dispersed image is parallel to the optical axis of the telescope. Previous efforts focused on manufacturing ease, alignment, assembly, testing, and improved robustness in space environments.