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Completed TRL 6 (started at 4, targeting 6)
This IRAD project will: i) integrate a suite of optical instruments into NASA’s Cessna 206 aircraft; ii) install and test a pointing system for optical instruments to allow for multiple control options; and, iii) test fly the instruments to understand the operational environment of the aircraft and obtain observations to support 610 science Pathfinder tasks. The effort will demonstrate (three 2-hour flights) a remote sensing instrument system for obtaining high spatial (< 1 m) visible and infrared imagery co-incident with hyperspectral remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) and Structure from Motion (SfM) topography to map the physical and ecosystem features of Wallops Island and adjoining coastal ocean, bays and marshes. The Rrs maps will be input data for testing and validating several product algorithms, for developing dynamic control software for the pointing systems, and for Pathfinder activities of the Decadal Survey Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) and Surface Topography and Vegetation (SVG) Mission.
Development of an active optical pointing instrument to obtain finer resolution hyper spectral observations of remotely sensed observations that would benefit from these higher resolution spectra.
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