MSTI-3 Dual-Use Applications

The Miniature Sensor Technology Integration (MSTI) program will launch MSTI-3 the third satellite in the program's series of satellites, in early September 1994. The MSTI-3 satellite will be instrumented with a visible wedge spectrometer and a MWIR sensor that will support Dual-Use applications. During on orbit operations MSTI-3 will collect data to support ongoing research by the USDA Forestry Service, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, US Fish and Wildlife Services, and US AID AGRHYMET Project. In addition to collecting data in support of these programs, the visible wedge spectrometer will be evaluated for its space-based applications to remote sensing. This paper will review the planned application for the MSTI-3 sensors to collect data for ground water concentration monitoring, observations of forest fires in remote areas, forest biomass health and biodiversity patterns, flooding, volcano heat generation during its dormant phase and the potential utility of increased spectral resolution for determining biomass indices. The MSTI-3 imaging spectrometer will provide much the same ability as the LANDSAT visible imagers but with higher spectral resolution. The sensor uses a 2-D focal plane with a wedge interference filter directly bonded to the CCD. The filter covers 80% of the array with 20% left open to allow use of the full spectral response and therefore enable detection of the dim targets. The spectral response of the sensor is from 600 to 858 run with a spectral resolution of 17 run. The spatial resolution is 30 run with a 8.42 x 7.01 km footprint at nadir. The camera has three selectable frame rates of 1, 10, or 30 hz with 12bit data digitization. In addition to obtaining spectral data, the equivalent of a color photograph can be developed by co-adding images taken as the satellite moves one field of view. The MWIR camera is a 256 x 256 array with a seven position filter wheel of which one filter is identical to the AVHRR cloud band at 3.53 - 4.04µm. The nadir spatial resolution is 42.5, giving a 11 x 11 km field-of-view. The camera has three selectable frame rates of 1, 5 ,or 10 hz with 12bit data digitization. The goal of the MSTI-3 Dual-Use program is to demonstrate the utility of using small satellites for testing an advanced technology sensor, the visible wedge spectrometer, and its application and potential benefits to remote sensing.