Special US-Only Restricted Session

GEO Payload Ground Radiometric Calibration Analysis Overview

Qiong Jackson, Tim Chin, Greg Fleisher, Jonathan Faul, Ron Lange, Glenn Soberman – Northrop Grumman

ABSTRACT: not cleared for public release.

GEO Payload Ground Radiometric Calibration Tests Overview

Qiong Jackson, Tim Chin, Greg Fleisher, Jonathan Faul, Ron Lange – Northrop Grumman

ABSTRACT: not cleared for public release.

A Methodology for Characterization and Long-Term Trending of SBIRS Radiometric Data

Tim Boyd, Richi Gilmore – Northrop Grumman

ABSTRACT: not cleared for public release.

In–flight Performance Characterization of EO Sensors using Specular Reflectors

Stephen Schiller – Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems

ABSTRACT: not cleared for public release.

Combining Radiometric Calibration and Complex Scene Projection for Mission Simulation in the AEDC Sensor Test Facilities

Randy Nicholson, Kimberly Mead, Heard Lowry, Carrie McInturff – Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA)

ABSTRACT: AEDC has performed space sensor characterization and calibration in the 7V Chamber for over 35 years. Test facility upgrades are continuously pursued to keep pace with evolving sensor technologies. Implementation and evaluation of these upgrades and extension of the facility’s sensor characterization and mission simulation capability require rigorous facility characterization and calibration activities. This paper will discuss activities and results associated with recent 7V and 10V Chamber checkout and sensor tests.

The capability of the 7V Chamber will be summarized and recently completed upgrades will be described. The status of calibration activities accomplished involving the AEDC chamber source systems will be described. AEDC has implemented IR emitter arrays that provide a very versatile complex scene projection capability in the sensor test chambers. Challenges associated with calibration of complex scene projectors and testing of wide field-of-view (FOV) sensors will be discussed.

Optimizing the ability of a test facility to perform complex mission simulation requires that rigorous facility characterization and calibration activities be successfully performed. In partnership with a team of government agencies and contractors, AEDC has upgraded the 10V Chamber to provide the capability to provide closed loop mission simulation for interceptor systems. The entire mission profile of an interceptor system can now be simulated through the acquisition, discrimination, and terminal homing phases by generating mission scenario scenes in real-time. The current status of the 10V Chamber facility and calibration-related lessons learned during initial tests to provide closed-loop mission simulation will be discussed.

CrIS Flight Model 1 Test Overview

Ronald Glumb, Robert Hookman, Chris Ellsworth, John Bobilya, Steven Wells, Richard Kohrman, Larry Crawford – ITT Corporation

ABSTRACT: This paper summarizes the results of the qualification testing of the first Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) instrument, which is a critical payload for the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) mission. This includes a description of the test program and key test results from Bench, Thermal Vacuum, EMI, and Vibration testing. Radiometric and spectral calibration performance is also described. We also discuss the status of NPP spacecraft integration activities, which includes pathfinder tests using a CrIS Engineering Development Unit.

CrIS Sensor Calibration & Signal Processing Methods

Joe Predina, Lawrence Suwinski, Rebecca Frain, Todd Dukes – ITT Corporation

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the signal processing algorithms used to radiometrically and spectrally calibrate the CrIS sensor. This includes a description of the CrIS on-board interferogram processing and the ground algorithms that convert Raw Data Records (RDR) into calibrated Sensor Data Records (SDR). The SDR algorithm flow is given along with examples of the algorithm’s ability to spectrally correct and produce ideal spectral response functions in all sensor FOVs and on all spectral channel centers. Calibrated spectral response shape, error residuals and absolute spectral calibration of the CrIS Flight Model 1 sensor is summarized.