Compact high-resolution trace-gas hyperspectral imagers, with agile on-board processing

Detecting, mapping, and quantifying dilute trace gases via spectral imaging is a capability of enormous value to the earth sciences, from atmospheric science and climate change, to biosphere monitoring, to volcanology. This capability is technologically demanding, however, requiring both high spectral resolution and high sensitivity, traditionally driving investigators to large, complex instruments requiring expensive large-satellite hosts. Furthermore, high-resolution spectral imaging, i.e. hyperspectral imaging (HSI), generates huge volumes of data that must be subjected to detailed analysis to extract and interpret the gas signatures of interest, something traditionally requiring the large downlink bandwidth only available on large satellite platforms. This proposed project seeks to enable a paradigm shift in spaceborne trace gas spectral imaging, from expensive single-platform instruments, to agile constellations of relatively inexpensive instruments on small satellites. Such constellations could be tailored to offer much more favorable combinations of spatial resolution and revisit time, important, e.g., for monitoring low-level volcanic activity or anthropogenic gas emissions, than could be achieved by any single instrument, even given the constraints and limitations of the small-sat platforms. One can even imagine one satellite in the constellation identifying targets of interest and cueing subsequent satellites to investigate in other spectral regions or at higher spatial resolution. Key to this vision is the development of ultra-compact spectral imagers that are competitive in terms of throughput and resolution with their large-satellite-based cousins, and the development of a fast, sensitive, and computationally efficient on-board processing capability so that huge hyperspectral data sets need not be downlinked for analysis. In this project we propose to demonstrate and validate on-orbit both of these capabilities. Under internal funding, we have designed, and are in the process of building, an ultra-compact hyperspectral imager designed to mate with LANL's highly successful CubeSat bus. Operating in the 300-500nm spectral region, with f/2 optics, 0.6nm spectral resolution, 320 spectral channels, and 320 across-track spatial pixels, the instrument would target NO2, SO2, ozone, formaldehyde, and other gases, with sufficient spectral resolution to confidently separate the trace gas signatures from the atmosphere. Scientific missions include monitoring and characterizing anthropogenic fossil fuel burning, and monitoring low-level passive SO2 degassing at volcanoes. In terms of spectral resolution and predicted sensitivity, our miniature instrument is comparable to NASA's Ozone Mapping Instrument (OMI) but is aimed at narrow field-of-view targeted observations (roughly 0.5 km spatial resolution from 500 km altitude) rather than OMI's global mapping. The spectrometer package occupies a 1.5 U CubeSat module; coupled with the LANL CubeSat host and payload interposer module, the entire satellite comprises a 3U system. In conjunction with the optical hardware, we have been developing, and testing on our CubeSat's on-board processor, streamlined hyperspectral gas retrieval algorithms that run many times faster than traditional methods. Tests on OMI data demonstrate that these algorithms can achieve sensitivity comparable to more exhaustive standard approaches. Importantly, the LANL CubeSat system allows for on-orbit software uploads, so that on-board retrieval algorithms can be tested and modified throughout the mission. Our project would build and launch our full CubeSat-hosted HSI system, with the aim of validating our ultra-compact optical and cutting-edge on-board retrieval strategies, and demonstrating competitive, scientifically useful trace gas sensitivities, with rapid-turnaround on-board retrievals, on small-sat platforms.

Increase scientific understanding of natural phenomena using remote sensing.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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