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Completed TRL 6 (started at 6, targeting 6)
SIRCUS employs high-power tunable lasers introduced into an integrating sphere using optical fibers, producing uniform, quasi-Lambertian, high-radiant-flux sources. Reference standard irradiance detectors, calibrated directly against national primary standards for spectral power responsivity and aperture area measurement, are used to determine the irradiance at a reference plane. Knowing the measurement geometry, the source radiance can be readily determined as well.
The radiometric properties of the SIRCUS source coupled with state-of-the-art transfer standard radiometers whose responsivities are directly traceable to primary national radiometric scales result in typical combined standard uncertainties in irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations of less than 0.1%. Accurate spectral response characterization of the imaging spectrometers employed here would provide the necessary knowledge to maximize use of the ultra-high resolution (<2 nm) data. Successful implementation of the proposed task will demonstrate Goddard’s end-to-end capability to supply mission critical calibration/validation in support of a NASA HQ sponsored collaboration with the European Space Agency.
Absolute radiometric calibration traceable to a known standard would allow the sensor to be compared directly to data from other sensors permitting improved understanding of those sensors. One of the original reasons for the development of SIRCUS was to characterize hyperspectral sensors to understand the stray light inherent to such systems that can hamper the spectral quality of the data.
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