Fire detection from LEO: trade-offs for selection of spectral bands and a wide-swath optical design using MWIR and visible bands

摘要: The paper relates to design of a sensor, operating on platform Low-Earth Orbit, that will detect and measure actively burning fires Earth surface. Trade-offs for selection spectral bands are covered, concentrating options using cooled detectors. A system only two mid-wave infrared (MWIR) is shown be viable; it have significant cost advantages compared with also uses long-wave (LWIR), since requires smaller optics spatial resolution at the diffraction limit, less-extreme detector cooling. Imaging in least one visible band allow identification false detections due sun glint, so small can positively identified sunlight. proposed sensor operate pushbroom mode. single area-array MWIR 1280 x 1024 element format. swath approaching 10,000 pixels wide provided by sub-dividing between 8 telescopes image onto separate sets strip filters rows. This allows total width 1000km scanned 100m ground sample distance (GSD). relatively GSD, use multiple rows each swath-section band, provide capability detection fires, radiant powers range 0.5 1.0 MW. Wide maximize statistical data collected potential interest development constellation providing global fire monitoring.