Abstract
Space-borne infrared remote sensing specifically for the detection and characterization of fires has a long history in the DLR Institute of Optical Sensor Systems. In the year 2001, the first DLR experimental satellite, Bi-spectral Infrared Detection (BIRD), was launched after an intensive test period with cooled IR sensor systems on airborne systems. The main basis for the development of the FireBIRD mission with the two satellites, Technology Erprobungsträger No 1 (TET-1) and Bi-spectral-Infrared Optical System (BIROS), was the already space-proven sensor and satellite technology with successfully tested algorithms for fire detection and quantification in the form of the so-called fire radiation power (FRP). This paper summarizes the development principles for the IR sensor system of FireBIRD and the most critical design elements of the TET-1 and BIROS satellites, especially concerning the attitude control system—all very essential tools for high-resolution infrared fire monitoring. Key innovative tools necessary to increase the agility of small IR satellites are discussed.
Highlights
The DLR initiative in building small satellites was initiated in 1994 by the Phase A study “Fire Recognition System for Small Satellites” (FIRES)
Due to the mounting orientation of the visible–near IR (VIS-NIR) camera head between the MIR and thermal infrared (TIR) sensor heads in the multi-spectral camera system of the Bi-spectralInfrared Optical System (BIROS) payload segment, the longitudinal axes of the three Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) lines are perpendicular to the direction of movement of the satellite track over the Earth during data acquisition in orbit, as illustrated in Figure 2 for a scene scan according to the “push-broom” principle
Missions for Infrared Monitoring of Climate Change from Space” prepared for this Special Issue of the Journal of Imaging on “Infrared Image Processing for Climate Change Monitoring from Space”, there will be a need for FireBIRD-type IR instruments that operate in a small satellite constellation and provide the following features:
Summary
The DLR initiative in building small satellites was initiated in 1994 by the Phase A study “Fire Recognition System for Small Satellites” (FIRES). The Bi-spectral Infrared Detection (BIRD) satellite, launched in 2001, was the first small satellite to be designed, developed, tested, and successfully operated in orbit by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. DLR) [1]. BIRD demonstrated the validity of a design to cost approach, widely using components-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, and the in-orbit application of cooled infrared sensors for the detection of high-temperature events (HTE). The BIRD mission demonstrated the substantial potential for detection and quantitative assessment of high-temperature events by bi-spectral infrared push-broom sensors [2]. The intent of this paper is to show how the main payloads and essential components of the TET-1 and BIROS small satellite buses were developed based on the requirements of the FireBIRD mission
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