April 28, 2024

Pushing Boundaries: Smaller, Lighter Space-Based Imaging Spectrometers With High Spectral Resolution

There is a need for smaller and lighter-weight space-based imaging spectrometers that gather climatic info, which requires high spectral resolution and low spatial resolution.
In the new work, the researchers describe near-infrared (NIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging spectrometer designs that could assist fill this need. The spectrometer designs combine preferable features from numerous existing designs, including an immersed grating that decreases the grating size by as much as the refractive index, a Littrow optical configuration that uses the very same optics before and after the grating, and a grating on a round surface to merely the correction of an optical mistake understood as Petzval field curvature.

Researchers from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory have actually developed a new compact and lightweight high-resolution imaging spectrometer for space-based use. The research introduces spectrometers that are a tenth the size and weight of conventional styles and expense less, therefore making it possible for a variety of brand-new applications.
NASA scientists have developed a new, light-weight, and cost-efficient imaging spectrometer for space usage. These styles provide high-resolution spectroscopy in a compact form, possibly broadening their applications in climatic study.
Scientists have actually established a new smaller sized, lighter style for space-based imaging spectrometers with high spectral resolution. These high-dispersion imaging spectrometers could be utilized onboard spacecraft or satellites to study the Earths atmosphere or the atmospheres of other planets.
James P. McGuire, Jr. from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will provide the new research at the Optica Design and Fabrication Conference, which will take place June 4– 8, 2023 in Quebec City, Canada.

“This spectrometer provides the same measurement capabilities as standard designs, but at one-tenth the size and mass and at a lower expense. Smaller sized, lighter, and cheaper open the door to new applications and markets,” stated McGuire.
Imaging spectroscopy, likewise referred to as hyperspectral imaging, obtains details throughout the electromagnetic spectrum for each pixel in the image of a scene. When carried out from space, it is normally utilized to observe solids or liquids, which needs high spatial resolution and low spectral resolution. Nevertheless, there is a need for smaller sized and lighter-weight space-based imaging spectrometers that collect climatic info, which requires high spectral resolution and low spatial resolution.
In the brand-new work, the researchers describe near-infrared (NIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging spectrometer designs that could assist fill this need. The spectrometer designs integrate preferable functions from several existing designs, including an immersed grating that minimizes the grating size by as much as the refractive index, a Littrow optical configuration that utilizes the very same optics before and after the grating, and a grating on a round surface to just the correction of an optical mistake understood as Petzval field curvature. Gratings separate white light into its constituent spectrum of colors.
The scientists established an NIR imaging spectrometer design that covers a spectral range from 2302 nm to 2370 nm with 2,048 spectral pixels and 512 spatial pixels at an aperture of f/1.9. Utilizing various products, they likewise designed a LWIR variation that covers 8 μm to 12 μm with 1536 spectral pixels and 256 spatial pixels at f/1.7.