The HYPSO-1 satellite, a 6U CubeSat carrying a hyperspectral imager, was launched on 13 January 2022, with the Goal of imaging ocean color in support of marine research. This article describes the development and current status of the mission and payload operations, including examples of agile planning, captures with low revisit time and time series acquired during a campaign. The in-orbit performance of the hyperspectral instrument is also characterized. The usable spectral range of the instrument is in the range of 430 nm to 800 nm over 120 bands after binning during nominal captures. The spatial resolvability is found empirically to be below 2.2 pixels in terms of Full-Width at Half-Maximum (FWHM) at 565 nm. This measure corresponds to an inherent ground resolvable resolution of 142 m across-track for close to nadir capture. In the across-track direction, there are 1216 pixels available, which gives a swath width of 70 km. However, the 684 center pixels are used for nominal captures. With the nominal pixels used in the across-track direction, the nadir swath-width is 40 km. The spectral resolution in terms of FWHM is estimated to be close to 5 nm at the center wavelength of 600 nm, and the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) is evaluated to be greater than 300 at 450 nm to 500 nm for Top-of-Atmosphere (ToA) signals. Examples of images from the first months of operations are also shown.
The development of a hyperspectral imager (HSI) made from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts enables the use of hyperspectral imaging on smaller low-cost platforms such as cubesats, drones, or other autonomous vehicles. However, HSIs built from COTS parts often suffer from more pronounced optical distortions, such as 'smile' and 'keystone', due to the shifted balance between cost and image quality. In this proceeding, radiometric, spectral, and geometric calibrations of a COTS HSI are presented. Furthermore, the calibrations are used to develop a real-time software-based spectrogram correction. The corrections will enhance the capability of small, autonomous platforms in using hyperspectral imaging.
This paper describes a new optomechanical design based on a previously presented do-it-yourself pushbroom hyperspectral imager (HSI) using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The new design uses larger aperture C-mount at F/2.8 instead of S-mount optics at F/4 to increase the throughput, which allows imaging at lower light levels. This is especially useful for dark surfaces like the deep ocean. The improved throughput is 6.77 higher at the center wavelength of 600 nm, which is shown both by theoretical calculations and experimental data. The measured full width at half maximum (FWHM) at 546.1 nm is 3.69 nm, which is close to the theoretical value of 3.3 nm, and smile and keystone are shown to be reduced in the new design. A method to characterize and remove second order effects using a cut-off filter is also presented and discussed.
Assembly, Integration, and Verification/Testing (AIV or AIT) is a standardized guideline for projects to ensure consistency throughout spacecraft development phases. The goal of establishing such a guideline is to assist in planning and executing a successful mission. While AIV campaigns can help reduce risk, they can also take years to complete and be prohibitively costly for smaller new space programs, such as university CubeSat teams. This manuscript outlines a strategic approach to the traditional space industry AIV campaign through demonstration with a 6U CubeSat mission. The HYPerspectral Smallsat for Ocean observation (HYPSO-1) mission was developed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) SmallSatellite Laboratory in conjunction with NanoAvionics (the platform provider). The approach retains critical milestones of traditional AIV, outlines tailored testing procedures for the custom-built hyperspectral imager, and provides suggestions for faster development. A critical discussion of de-risking and design-driving decisions, such as imager configuration and machining custom parts, highlights the consequences that helped, or alternatively hindered, development timelines. This AIV approach has proven key for HYPSO-1’s success, defining further development within the lab (e.g., already with the second-generation, HYPSO-2), and can be scaled to other small spacecraft programs throughout the new space industry.
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