Title: CIRiS: A mission to optimize radiometric calibration in a CubeSat infrared imager
Presenting Author: David Peter Osterman
Organization: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation
Co-Author(s): M. Adkins, A. Amparan, S. Collins, J. Ferguson, D. Osterman, R. Rohrschneider, R. Warden

Abstract:
CIRiS (Compact Infrared Radiometer in Space) is an infrared imaging instrument integrated on a 6U CubeSat and designed for high performance radiometric calibration while on-orbit. The objective of the CIRiS mission, with a 2018 launch, is demonstration of enabling technologies. Carbon nanotube (CNT) films on 1/8 thick substrates provide the instrument with two compact on-board calibration sources whose emissivities are greater than 0.996. Views to deep space and to the two CNT sources, one of which may be heated over a range of temperatures, generate a multiplicity of calibration options permitting comparisons for optimization and consistency checks. The uncooled microbolometer "engine" combines a 640 x 480 format infrared focal plane array (FPA) and read-out electronics in a volume < 35 mm on a side. A scene select mirror actuated by a stepper motor rotates the FPA field of view through four orthogonal directions sequentially for earth and calibration views. On-board image processing of earth images includes selective pixel binning, and frame shift-and-co-add operations to boost signal to noise. The single circuit board also reads multiple temperature sensors, controls heaters and operates the scene-select motor. CIRiS has a modular design that facilitates modification for specific applications. Among the promising future uses of CIRiS are water resource and drought management, storm prediction and coastal zone monitoring.