HAPS Day Night Hyperspectral Imaging Demonstrator

High-altitude platform systems (HAPS) are a cutting-edge technology that can provide persistent Earth observations from the stratosphere. Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) has partnered with Aerostar to develop a versatile HAPS Day Night (DANI) Hyperspectral Imaging Demonstrator to explore how HAPS can enable persistent hyperspectral imaging under both low light and bright sunlit conditions. The project will integrate an imaging payload consisting of a hyperspectral imager, a long wave infrared (LWIR) thermal infrared camera, and a high-resolution red-green-blue (RGB) visible camera into the Aerostar stratospheric Thunderhead Balloon system. The DANI hyperspectral imager will be designed to collect high-resolution spectra of night lights, which will be used to generate specific light maps to help us understand energy usage, light pollution, and human activity like never before. Taking advantage of the HAP’s lower speed and altitude, the proposed system’s sensitivity and dynamic range can be orders of magnitude higher than any moderate-resolution hyperspectral sensor in orbit or planned. The DANI hyperspectral imaging payload will also support the Surface Biology and Geology Mission by providing daytime hyperspectral measurements of leaf canopy chemistry during the growing season and, through persistent monitoring, by collecting data missed by traditional polar-orbiting satellites when significant changes occur between satellite overpasses. The thermal infrared camera will be used to detect clouds at night and provide insight into canopy temperatures. As an added benefit, it will also be able to monitor fires and potentially volcano eruptions and lava flow. A complementary high-resolution framing camera will be used to measure topography using structure from motion (SfM) techniques. These measurements support the needs described by the Surface Topography and Vegetation (STV) Incubation team, which identified the need for more frequent topography observations.

The DANI Hyperspectral Imaging Demonstrator directly supports NASA’s Science Biology and Geology (SBG) Mission who measure chemical properties of vegetation canopies using VNIR-SWIR hyperspectral imagery with better than 10 nm spectral resolution, 30 m GSD and high SNRs. These chemical properties include leaf pigment, chlorophyll, LAI, fAPAR, and water content, many of which can be obtained using our proposed technology. Although some chemical properties important for understanding vegetation function require SWIR, the shape of hyperspectral spectra between 400 – 700 nm is associated with chlorophyll, carotenoid, and anthocyanin pigments, and the NIR is associated with leaf water content and structure. The demonstrator directly supports NASA’s Surface Topography and Vegetation (STV) team who is interested in predicting, monitoring, and observing the geologic aftermath of seismic events such as volcanic eruptions and landslides. Most of these applications require spatial resolutions from the cm to tens of meters range on a time scale of minutes to one day, consistent with our technology. The SVT is also keenly interested in vegetation structure, cryosphere, hydrology, and coastal processes at spatial resolutions and time scales that our proposed demonstrator can achieve. The demonstrator can, through spatial (GSD and PSF) matching and spectral band adjustment, simulate various multispectral systems and, following the Satellite Cross Calibration Radiometer (SCR) Mission construct, transfer calibrations from Landsat to other government and commercial satellite systems. It can also be used to reduce the risk of an envisioned SCR Mission by providing cross-calibration datasets to validate algorithms and extending environmental testing of hyperspectral systems. These spatial and spectral simulations can also be used to cost-effectively define and justify specific multispectral band passes best suited to perform particular applications over various land cover types. The ability to image artificial lights at night is an emerging capability used in a wide range of scientific and commercial applications. Imaging artificial lights at night can offer insight into human activity. It can be used to help understand the extent of disasters such as hurricanes and ice storms. It can provide unbiased insight into areas of conflict and support environmental concerns such as light pollution and illumination-generated health issues that disrupt circadian rhythms. In addition to their scientific value, these applications support commercial intelligence because a region’s measured artificial light output can indicate economic health, national GDP and economic development. Changes in lighting sources can, for example, indicate improved economic conditions or point to the value of an area being illuminated. Maturing these products requires a comprehensive understanding of night light illumination phenomenology. This understanding can be achieved by fielding a persistent night monitoring capability over various geographical areas with different levels of urbanization. This will guide technologists on the precise specifications and product workflow required to generate products optimized to exploit night imaging. Daylight imaging applications include fire monitoring, persistent support to first responders actively responding to extreme natural and man-made events, including landslides, hurricanes and earthquakes, and continuous support to humanitarian organizations and intelligence agencies.

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