This paper reviews the progress of Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc (ASC) large format flash ladar 3-D imaging systems for longer-range applications. Single-laser-pulse images are taken from a manned flight test at 1000 - 2000 ft demonstrating not only the 3-D mapping potential of the system but also its use in object identification. Gated images on the ground exemplify vehicle identification applications. Use of signal amplitude information in enhancing the 3-D image is also illustrated.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Arizona State University (ASU), and Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS) have executed a series of successful Mars exploration missions. These have recently been publicized on television and the internet with the early 2004 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission geological robots that have revolutionized our detailed knowledge of the planet's geology and atmosphere. This latest mission success has its foundation in missions dating back to 1969. Over the past thirty-five years NASA has demonstrated a long-term commitment to planetary science and solar system exploration that continues with a commitment recently expressed by President Bush and codified in a reorganization of the NASA space sciences mission directorate. This paper reports on a small but exciting aspect of this sweeping NASA program, and illustrates the benefits and efficiency with which planetary and solar system exploration can be accomplished. Key in the success is the vision not only of NASA in general, but of the mission Principal Investigator, in particular. The specific series of missions leading to MER contains an underlying vision of carefully planned geological investigations using remote sensing instrumentation, starting with broad survey, leading to more finely resolved global imaging, and finally to landing instrumentation capable of detailed rock and soil analyses. The mission started with broad and relatively coarse spatial resolution orbital surveys with fine spectral capability focused on identifying the overall geological and atmospheric character of the planet accomplished from 1996 to the present conducted by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES). This led to the more detailed global imaging at finer spatial resolution offered by the Mars 2001 Odyssey Mission Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) which identified specific landing sites of interest for detailed exploration. The mission culminated in the recent MER lander geological analyses conducted by the mini-TES instruments carried by the rovers. This series of remote sensing investigations has set the stage for a new era in solar system exploration.
This paper describes some details of the results of the calibration of the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) being built by Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS) under contract to Arizona State University (ASU). This paper also serves as an update to an earlier paper (Peralta, et al, 2001) for mission description and
instrument design. Mini-TES is a single detector Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS), covering the spectral range 5- 29 microns (μm) at 10 cm-1 spectral resolution. Launched in June 2003, one Mini-TES instrument will fly to Mars aboard each of the two missions of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Project (MER), named Spirit and Opportunity. Mini-TES is designed to provide a key minerological remote sensing component of the MER mission, which includes
several other science instruments. The first Mini-TES unit was required to meet a two-year development schedule with proven, flight-tested instrumentation. Therefore, SBRS designed Mini-TES based on proven heritage from the successful Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), which was launched in 1996 and is still operational with over 500 million spectra collected to date. Mini-TES design, performance, integration onto the rovers, as well as details of the calibration are discussed. Full instrument and calibration details are the subject of an upcoming Journal of Geophysical Research Mini-TES paper by Christensen, et al.
This paper describes the dual-mission Mars 2003 Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) being built by Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS) under contract to Arizona State University (ASU). Mini-TES is a single detector Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS), covering the spectral range 5-29 microns (micrometers ) at 10 cm-1 spectral resolution. Scheduled for launch in 2003, one Mini-TES instrument will fly to Mars aboard each of the two missions of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project (MER). Mini-TES is designed to provide a key minerological remote sensing component of the MER mission, which includes several other science instruments. Originally intended for the Athena Precursor Experiment (APEX) slated for a 2001 launch, the first Mini-TES unit was required to meet a two-year development schedule with proven, flight-tested instrumentation. Therefore, SBRS designed Mini-TES based on proven heritage from the successful Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), which was launched in 1996 and successfully completed its intended mission of one Martian year (two earth years) with over 100 million spectra collected to date, and counting. Relevance of the Mini-TES to MER science, overall design, performance, assembly and test flow as well as details of the hardware fabricated at SBRS, are discussed.
This paper describes the Mars 2001 Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) being built by Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS) under contract to Arizona State University (ASU). Mini-TES is a point (single-pixel) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS), covering the spectral range 5 - 28 microns (micrometer) at 10 cm-1 spectral resolution. It is part of the Athena Precursor Experiment (APEX) that will fly to Mars on board NASA's Mars 2001 Lander mission. Mini-TES is designed to provide a key mineralogical remote sensing component of the APEX mission, which includes several other science instruments. Even though Mini-TES is a new design, the Athena mission required proven, flight-tested instrumentation to meet a two-year development schedule. Therefore, SBRS designed Mini-TES based on proven heritage from the successful Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), which was launched in 1996 and is currently providing excellent science data from the MGS, in orbit about Mars. Mini-TES occupies only 15% of the volume and is 83% lighter than MGS TES, yet nearly all the design and technology elements of Mini-TES are direct descendants of proven flight components from MGS TES. Relevance of the Mini- TES to APEX science, overall design, performance, as well as details of the hardware being fabricated at SBRS, are discussed. Possible applications to future missions are also addressed.
KEYWORDS: Electronics, Servomechanisms, Analog electronics, Spectroscopy, Computer aided design, Mirrors, Power supplies, Field programmable gate arrays, Signal processing, Sensors
This paper will describe the miniaturization of the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) electronic system for use in the Miniature-TES (Mini-TES) being built for Arizona State University. Mini-TES will be used to measure thermal emission for mapping of surface minerals on Mars. Mini-TES is a single pixel, Fourier Transform Spectrometer, covering 5 - 28 micrometer at 10 cm-1 resolution. The Mini-TES electronics incorporate modern Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, surface mount designs, and simplified command, control and data protocol allowing for a 4 fold reduction in the electronics subsystem. Use of the Lander computer for shared signal processing further help to reduce the Mini-TES complexity. Details of the specific flight hardware design, actual hardware fabrication and initial test results will be discussed.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.