A new compact imaging spectrometer is poised to break many barriers in remote sensing applications. Current state-of-the-art imaging spectrometers for Earth observation are often limited to large format, high performance systems. While these systems produce valuable application and calibration data, their throughput/use is constrained in the context of broader and specialized applications. The paper by Michael P. Chrisp et al. on the “Development of a Compact Imaging Spectrometer Form for the Solar Reflective Spectral Region” is a significant step toward broadening the range and use of imaging spectroscopy in a number of Earth science/remote sensing applications. The paper describes the Chrisp VNIR/SWIR Imaging Spectrometer (CCVIS) which significantly reduces size, weight and power requirements while maintaining imaging performance, allowing both specialized and modular configurations. Importantly, the additional benefit of the compact size is in the facilitation of thermal stability. The small system dimensions are enabled through a design incorporating a catadioptric lens and a flat, dual blazed grating. The grating can be produced with grayscale lithographic techniques to simplify fabrication and implementation. Overall, the design outperforms other systems based, for example, on Offner-Chrisp and the Dyson forms, while complying with requirements of the Decadal Survey for Earth observations. In the initial demonstration, the authors showcase an aquatic remote sensing design using multiple CCVISs in conjunction with a freeform telescope. While this was a test case, the initial results opened new avenues for many other implementations/variant forms in Earth science and planetary missions to come. Thus, the future of the presented design is bright, and we should hear more about it in the near future.

---

---

 Add Comment

You must log in to add comments.